For the Sake of the Art
by claihm solais
Summary: [Complete] A Ranma 12, BSSM, AMS crossover. After getting hit one time too many by Akane, Ranma leaves the Tendo Dojo to get some peace and quiet. But being Ranma, Chaos follows him wherever he goes, and Fate has greater plans for the martial artist.
1. Chapter One: One Time Too Many

**For the Sake of the Art**

_A Ranma ½ Fanfiction story_

_By Patrick Nguyen Huu_

**Disclaimer**: Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi-sensei, BSSM belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, I'm just borrowing the characters. Meiou Ryoko belongs to me, though.

**Summary**: Ranma/Kasumi pairing? Maybe Ranma/Setsuna, haven't decided yet. Set after Saffron. Akane hits Ranma one too many times, and he runs away from the Tendo home. He comes across an old friend, Meiou Ryoko, and sets up temporary camp in Juuban… (Probable crossovers with Aa! Megami-sama, Sailor Moon, Tenchi Muyo.)

Arc One: Martial Artists, Goddesses, Sailor Senshi, and Demons

Chapter One: One Time Too Many

"**RANMA NO BAKA!**!" The yell was accompanied by the shape of the pig-tailed martial artist soaring through the sky, courtesy of a certain Tendo Akane's mallet. As he reached the apex of his flight path and started his descent, Saotome Ranma was still trying his best to figure out what he had done this time to get his fiancee mad. _Hm…It wasn't another of my fiancees, neither Shampoo or Ukyo were around…She wasn't cooking either…I didn't walk into her in the bath…_ About two seconds before impact with the ground, he sighed and decided to give up on this futile enterprise. _I'll never understand that stupid, violent tomboy…_was his last coherent thought before Ranma hit the pond in the center of the Nerima Park with a giant splash.

A wet, pissed off, female, profanity muttering red-headed, pig tailed martial artist climbed out of the water and trudged out of the park, heading for the general direction of the Tendo dojo. By the time Ranma arrived, it was already deep in the night, and the house that was connected to the dojo was dark. Checking the moon, Ranma estimated it to be about 2 am. She spotted a light in the kitchen and knew Kasumi was still awake, and decided to head for the kitchen entrance. Ranma was surprised that Kasumi was still awake. Although she knew that the eldest Tendo daughter stayed up late to prepare for the next day, this was pretty late, even by Kasumi's standards.

As Ranma approached the kitchen door, he heard quiet breathing and slowly began to slip into the _Umisen-Ken_. Kasumi's presence in the kitchen was usually accompanied by the quiet clatter of kitchenware or the slight tap of her feet on the wooden floor. Ranma heard none of them. She slowly prodded the door open and let her eyes adjust to the light, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw Kasumi sleeping peacefully over the counter, although she did notice the barely visible telltale streaks of tears and the slightly red color of her eyes. Still, a crying Kasumi was better than an endangered Kasumi. Slightly. As quietly as she could, Ranma set a kettle on the stove and removed Kasumi's first-aid pack from the cupboard.

After tending to her wounds, Ranma let out a sigh of relief and removed the kettle, pouring the hot water over herself, relishing the tingling sensation that accompanied the transformation. Ranma set the empty kettle back on the stove, turned off the stove, and turned to Kasumi, who was still sleeping peacefully slumped over the counter. Slowly prying her hands off the table, he slipped an arm around her slender waist and another around her shoulders. Ranma started moving up the stairs as quietly as he could to avoid waking up the sleeping woman in his arms – or anyone else in the house, for that matter. He hesitated a moment before Kasumi's door then opened it and stepped inside. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he quickly found her bed and pulled down the covers.

Ranma gently deposited Kasumi on her bed and pulled the covers up to her neck. She was snoring slightly, he noted amusedly. As soon as he let go of her, though, she started moving around in her bed, trying to find the warmth of his arms again, kicking the covers off herself in the process. Ranma chuckled, and pulled them up again, his shyness around women temporarily forgotten. _Odd…usually I'd be trembling and spouting gibberish by now…never around Kasumi though,_ the martial artist thought with a smile._ She's actually pretty cute when she's like this…_he thought as the moonlight fell through her window and illuminated her face, long brown hair framing her face. _Oh my…did I just think that? _Ranma mentally kicked himself._ No, no, no, no, no, wrong. That's Kasumi, for Kami's sake! But…she's pretty. Even more so when she's awake,_ he admitted to himself.

After watching her sleep for another few minutes, Ranma snuck out of the room, closing it behind himself and headed for the guest room. As he peeked in, he saw the expected, his father snoring loudly, draped over the only two futons in the room. Grumbling something about oversize, fat pandas, the youth headed for the dojo to spend the night in.

_V----------------------------------------V_

As the first rays of sunlight filtered in through the windows of the dojo, Ranma opened his eyes and shook his head. He rose from his sitting position and stretched. Seeing that he wouldn't be getting any sleep anytime soon, he decided to head for the kitchen and start on breakfast after taking a quick bath, feeling a little guilty for having found Kasumi passed out on the counter the night before. Why exactly he was feeling slightly guilty he didn't know, but he decided she was in for a treat today. Since the battle with Saffron on Phoenix Mountain he had been helping her around the household more, and knew she was getting up very early to prepare breakfast. As he put the finishing touches on the Miso soup and started chopping the vegetables, he heard a slight rustling from the living room, indicating someone was coming down the stairs.

"Oh, my."

The martial artist craned his head around to see Kasumi standing in the doorway. He shot her a quick, slightly embarrassed smile, his hand shooting to the back of his head in the familiar gesture as he realized she had not set her alarm the previous night and overslept. "Ohayo, Kasumi." "Ohayo, Ranma-kun. What are you doing up so early?"

He turned back to chopping the vegetables. "I was up early anyway, so I decided to cook breakfast. I mean, you work so hard for us, I figured you earned a break, maybe take a nice, long soak or something." Kasumi nodded, "Yes, but…"

"No but. If anyone earned a day off, it's you," Ranma told her with a tone that effectively ended the argument. Not that Kasumi minded. She shot him a smile which he didn't see, and said, "Thank you, Ranma-kun, I think I'll do that." As she left the kitchen, she shook her head as she thought she recalled being cradled in his arms the night before. _Oh my…such improper thoughts, and with Ranma-kun, no less! He's Akane's fiancee…But, I still wonder how I got back to bed last night._ Kasumi stepped into the bath, wearing only a towel around her midsection and slid into the furo, sighing as she felt her muscles relaxed in the hot water. It had been so long since she had been able to take a long soak in a furo. _Not since mother's death, I think…Oh my, I need to remember to thank Ranma-kun again, later._ With a smile on her face, Kasumi closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the bath.

_V----------------------------------------V_

As Kasumi came down the stairs and into the kitchen, she saw Ranma put the finishing touches on breakfast. He grinned his trademark cocky smile and waved her over. "Tell me if it's all right?" He asked. Kasumi glanced at the food with a mix of apprehension and appreciation. He'd never actually cooked, despite having helped her in the kitchen. As she took a small scoop of Miso soup and tasted it, her face lit up in surprise. "This is…excellent, Ranma-kun." And she meant it. Although it lacked a certain touch that she knew came from putting your heart into the cooking the food was extremely good. And she knew that his heart belonged to martial arts, not cooking. She allowed herself a mental grin as something clicked in her mind about the way he'd moved in the kitchen earlier – like he was in some sort of martial arts tournament. He had moved with the same grace he performed his katas with. Kasumi giggled at the thought of a form of martial arts cooking. As she nodded her approval Kasumi swore she could see Ranma let out a sigh of relief. "Well, take a seat a the table, I'll be right out. And don't you dare to clean up the table," he added with a smirk. "Today's your day off. And I mean, your **whole** day off."

Kasumi nodded and settled herself at the living room table. Soon, the rest of the Tendo family and Saotome Genma came down the stairs. The elder Saotome led the way as usual, hoping to be the first at the breakfast table. As they saw Kasumi sitting at the table, waiting patiently for breakfast as if it would fix itself, the reactions ranged from inquisitive to openly questioning. Tendo Soun quickly glanced over at Kasumi and returned his attention to the newspaper, not fazed in the least. Nabiki didn't seem to notice, seeing that she was still half asleep, and Akane was arching an eyebrow. Genma was livid. "Who's making breakfast?" The clock ticked, and the minute hand clicked into place.

The kitchen door opened, and Ranma stepped through, carefully balancing everything at once. Kasumi shot him a concerned glance, but he just grinned and blurred into motion, flipping over the table, depositing the food and bowls with Amaguri-Ken like speed. As he ended and set down a bowl of steaming rice in front of Kasumi, he smirked. "Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts – table-setting." Kasumi suppressed a chuckle, while Genma admonished his son for being late with breakfast. Akane glared at Ranma. "Are you trying to poison us, you pervert?"

Kasumi could see the hurt in Ranma's eyes and sent a prayer to Kami-sama that the morning would go peaceful. Ranma was boiling with anger and hurt at Akane's comment. _Feh, what did I expect from that stupid tomboy, anyway? Compliments?_ He was about to snap a retaliatory comment about his fiancee's cooking when he caught the pleading look in Kasumi's eyes. With a sigh, he tried to suppress his anger as best as he could and handed out bowls to everyone else. "Akane, that wasn't nice. Now, Ranma went to the trouble to make breakfast, and I, for one, will gladly try his cooking." She shot a grateful look at Ranma, who she saw easing up a little. "Besides, can't be worse than the toxic waste you cook up, sis," Nabiki mumbled between mouthfuls of rice and pickles. "This is actually pretty good," she commented, ignoring the artic gaze Akane sent her way.

Akane was about to disagree just for the sake of the argument, but couldn't really find a fault with the food – except for the fact that it was way better than her own creations. No matter how mad she was she couldn't critique Ranma's cooking without looking bad herself. Swallowing her pride, she ate the food, shooting angry glares at her fiancee.

_V----------------------------------------V_

School was boring as always, with Ranma sleeping through most of his classes – not surprising, especially since he hadn't gotten any sleep the night before – and getting "bucket duty" for not paying attention in English class. Ranma was fine with that, since it was either this, or get drained by Hinako-sensei. And as attractive as his English instructor was in her adult form, he preferred to not experience the feeling of getting drained of his ki again. He still shuddered at the thought. Finally, the bell signalling lunch break rang, and he vaulted out of the window on the third floor, flipped in mid-air, and landed gracefully in the yard, only to sprint off to a secluded tree. He didn't feel like dealing with his fiancees this morning. Between the fact that he hadn't gotten any sleep and was cranky, and had started the day off with Akane on the wrong foot, he was feeling tired, upset, and empty all at once. _Only good thing today was Kasumi,_ he thought. _But then, Kasumi's _**always**_ the one good thing in my life_, he added with a smile.

"Ran-chan!" Ukyo's voice rang out across the yard. Accompanying it was the telltale ring of a bicycle bell. Ranma groaned and made himself smaller among the leaves of the tree as he dug into his lunch bento, hoping fervently he wouldn't have to face the two girls who were looking for him down below.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ukyo glanced around the school yard. "Ran-chan!" She shouted as she continued looking for her fiancee. She was itching to whip out her grill and prepare some okonomiyaki for him for lunch. Beside her, a certain pink-haired amazon was likewise looking for Saotome Ranma, hauling a large delivery case that no doubt contained ramen noodles – the specialty of the Cat Café, and one of Ranma's other favorite foods. However, the subject of both their adorations stayed hidden from view, holding as still as he could in the tree above.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma held his breath as his other two fiancees passed underneath the tree. He was about the let out the breath he had been holding as he saw them pass, when something completely destroyed his hope. "**RANMA NO BAKA!** Come here and eat my bento, you coward!" Accompanying that yell came a mallet flying his way. The pig-tailed martial artist had a split second to ask himself how in the world Akane managed to nail him with her mallet even if she didn't have the faintest idea where he was hiding. Then the mallet hit him and smashed him out of the tree, and he fell to the ground with a crash, straight into Ukyo and Shampoo's arms.

"Feh, what was that for, you kawaiikune tomboy?" He groaned before realizing where exactly he was. "I didn't do anything."

The youngest Tendo daughter shot him an icy glare. "Not yet, anyway, but I bet you were about to do something perverted, you…" Her eyes widened as she took in the scene before her, the half-unconscious Ranma in the arms of both Ukyo and Shampoo. Her pupils contracted to slits. "And it looks as if I was right, you **PERVERT**!" Her spare mallet whipped out of whereever she kept them, and catapulted her fiancee into low Earth orbit once more. She was dusting off her hands when she registered the angry glares of her rivals. "What?" she shrugged. "He had it coming, doing perverted stuff." Ukyo's hand was twitching towards her battle spatula while Shampoo was boiling with rage. Fortunately for Akane, the bell saved her from having to battle the two enraged suitors of her fiancé.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma's flight path took him directly to the Tendo dojo, and he was bracing himself for the impact when he saw Kasumi stepping out of the kitchen door and right into his flight path. "Out of the way!" He yelled and twisted. Ranma saw Kasumi turning, her eyes widening in shock at the incoming airborne martial artist, freezing with shock. Missing her by mere inches, Ranma slammed into the wall next to the door. "Ouch," he groaned as he slid down the wall. "Oh my, Ranma-kun, are you all right?" Kasumi shook off the shock and looked at him, concern written plainly across her face.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine…That kawaiikune tomboy didn't have to hit me that hard…wonder what got into her this time…" Ranma mumbled. Kasumi took his hand and led the martial artist back into the kitchen, digging out her first-aid kit. "Did you have another argument with Akane, Ranma-kun?" She asked as she applied disinfectant to the scraps and cuts on his arm. "Argument? Feh, pretty one-sided argument. I'm eating my lunch and she comes and mallets me twice," Ranma muttered quietly, but Kasumi heard him. "Oh my," she commented. "That's not nice…"

Ranma stood and flexed his arm. "Thanks, Kasumi, I don't know how long I woulda lasted without your first aid," he said with a smile. To Kasumi, it seemed forced, and she could see the exhaustion in his eyes. "Would you like to talk about it, Ranma-kun?" He shook his head. The offer was tempting, but…_She's doing so much already, I don't want to have her have to listen to my junk of a life, too_, he thought. "Nah, not right now. Thanks, though, Kasumi." As he set on cleaning the dishes left over from breakfast he noted with relief that Kasumi had actually taken his advice and decided not to do anything. "Are you going to be all right, Ranma-kun?" She asked once more from the doorway. Really looking at her for the first time since he'd almost crashed into the girl, Ranma nearly choked and turned away quickly. Kasumi was wearing a long white summer dress. It wasn't that he hadn't seen the girl in a dress – she wore dresses every day – but she looked ready to go out. _Oh boy…and I thought she couldn't get any more pretty than that…_ "I'm good, I'm good," he told her. "Sorry I was keeping you from going out," he added sheepishly.

Kasumi glanced at him again. "It's all right, Ranma-kun, I was only going to go shopping for myself…" As she spoke she realized how odd that sounded. Since her mother died she hadn't had time to go shopping for herself. "Well, I will be going now if you are sure you don't need any help?" Ranma shook his head vigorously. "As I said this morning, this is your day off. Enjoy your trip," he told her with a smile, still slightly red in the face. "Thank you, Ranma-kun," Kasumi told him and left.

After Ranma finished cleaning up the dishes and checked the clock to make sure he had enough time for practice before having to start dinner he left the kitchen and headed for the dojo. With a sigh, he prodded open the door and slid into the training hall. Trying to get rid of the madness in his life for a few moments, he started a slow, relaxing kata. Halfway through, though, he lost his concentration, being distracted by angry thoughts at Akane, annoyance at Shampoo, and even at Ukyo. _Only good thing is that Kodachi didn't show up as well…_

Seeing that he wasn't going to calm down anytime soon, he focused on his broiling emotions instead and leapt up into the air, launching into a vicious, high-speed aerial combat kata that was unique to the Saotome Ryu, hoping the day wouldn't get any worse.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Dinner was a quiet matter that evening, with Ranma gobbling down the food as fast as he could, Akane sending icy glares his way – the breakfast thing apparently not forgotten, and now dinner to top it off – and Soun and Genma shooting confused glances at themselves and their children. It was obvious something was going on, but neither would talk. Matter of fact, no one was talking during dinner. Once he was done, Ranma resisted the urge to get up and bolt for his room, as he had to clean up the table and do the dishes. Or rather, wanted to. As everyone cleared he table, he slowly got up and started collecting the bowls and dishes. "Phew, at least she didn't mallet me…" he muttered as he carried everything at once into the kitchen. At least he wouldn't be running into Akane into the kitchen since she had been banned by both Kasumi and her father after her last creation had squiggled and moved off the stove on its own accord, thrashing the kitchen in the process. Later that night he'd heard something about a youma attack on Juuban ward involving an acidic, gory and generally really disgusting type of monster the Senshi had alledgedly never seen before.

As he spun the last bowl in the air and caught it with a flourish, he heard a light clapping from behind him. Turning, he saw Kasumi standing in the doorway. "Hi, Kasumi," he said while depositing the bowl back in the cupboard. The young woman smiled at him before speaking. "Ranma-kun…I wanted to thank you for doing this; I can't remember how long it has been since I had time to go do something for myself…" she trailed off. _Too long, apparently,_ Ranma noted in his mind. "Well, 'twas nothing, if anyone earned a break it's you."

Kasumi caught a tired look in his eyes. She suddenly realized that if anyone else in this household deserved a break, it was the boy before her. _Fighting with his fiancees and his enemies every day…No wonder he's tired,_ she thought. She offered him a reassuring smile. "Sometimes I just wish I could do more, Ranma-kun," she said quietly. He arched an eyebrow, looking more pensieve than she would ever have thought he could look. She almost chuckled. "What do you mean, you already do, like, everything…You keep the house running…" Ranma gulped. "You keep me running. I don't know if I woulda lasted without your advice and first aid," he added with a humorless chuckle.

"Ranma-kun, do you love Akane?" Kasumi blurted out. _Oh my, did I just ask that out loud?_ She covered her mouth with a hand in shock as she watched Ranma's reaction to the question. She was surprised to see that his only reaction was a slight shrug and a tired gaze. "I don't know, Kasumi. I honestly don't know. I thought I did, once…Hell, I probably still like her, but love?" He shook his head slowly. "Probably not. Not anymore." Kasumi stared at his confession. "I mean, the only reason why I'd marry her now is because of my family's honor. Even if it's an arrangement oyaji made and I don't agree with it, I'll marry her if I have to."

"I…see…" she finally said. She was saddened to hear that he no longer felt the kind of affection for her sister that she had tried to kindle in both of them over the years, but it didn't exactly come as a surprise. She had seen and heard what the boy had done for her sister, and she had seen first hand how she treated him most of the time. Mallet-sama and her uppercut were only two of the things that constantly enlargened the rift between her and Ranma. _Not to mention the fact that she calls him a pervert and freak all the time, _Kasumi mentally added. _No, if you take everything into account, it's no wonder he stopped loving her…_Kasumi could only shake her head at the foolishness of her sister. She had such a great chance, getting Ranma as a fiancee, and Kasumi had seen, more often than not, the real Saotome Ranma emerge from behind the cocky, brash façade he presented to the world, and she envied her sister for her engagement to this young man. And despite the sadness she felt for her sister, an odd sense of elation filled her, as well. The young woman didn't know what caused it, and she felt uncomfortable with it.

"You know, Kasumi…I'm starting to think I've had enough of this mess…" Ranma had continued without even noticing himself. "I'm getting tired of getting glomped by Shampoo, of being afraid someone's gonna get poisoned by the old ghoul. Sometimes I just wish Ryoga would just get lost – permanently - and Mousse would just go home to China and take Shampoo and Cologne with him, and most of all…" he sighed, "I'm damn tired of getting hit by Akane…she never listens, she only hits. And hits. And hits some more, for good measure." He suddenly realized what he had said, and turned an apologetic look at Kasumi. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said those things 'bout your sister."

"It's quite all right, Ranma-kun. I know the constant fighting is getting to you. But still…I have to thank you for all you've done for my family," she told him with a smile. _And me,_ she added mentally. Ranma shrugged. "All in a day's work. Anyway, it's late and I better get some sleep. Night, Kasumi." She nodded. "Good night, Ranma-kun." As he left the kitchen Kasumi was left sitting at the counter, wondering what in the world had just happened, why she felt so sympatethic with the young martial artist, and, most of all, why his declared break-up with Akane filled her with a sense of satisfaction and hope.

_V----------------------------------------V_

As Ranma climbed the stairs, he heard noise coming from Akane's room. Listening for a moment he could make out the distinctive, high-pitched squeal of a piglet and knew P-chan was back. Shaking his head in disgust he kept going towards his room when he heard a female shout. In a flash, he was at Akane's door and tore it open, only to see…

Akane sitting on the floor in her nightwear, rubbing her behind. What drew Ranma's attention more as he scanned the room for a threat was the doujinshi Akane had slipped on. The booklet had apparently fallen from its place under her pillow and Akane had stepped on the glossy cover as she chased after P-chan who – once again – was suffering severe nosebleed and was trying to get away from her to get it to stop. Suddenly, Akane looked up from her position on the floor and her gaze wandered up to him. She started blushing furiously. Then, in an instant, her expression changed from embarassment to pure anger. "**RANMA NO HENTAI!**" The scream reverberated in the entire house and was loud enough to wake up the entire neighborhood.

Having gotten accustomed to screams like these, the neighborhood and most of Nerima didn't care, and neither did Saotome Genma, Tendo Soun, or Nabiki. Kasumi, though, surprised at the the violence of the outburst, rushed upstairs, barely missing a flying Ranma who had been sent flying down the stairs courtesy of a thorough pummeling by Akane. Akane wasn't far behind Ranma as she kept on punching and kicking in his general direction, half of the attacks missing and very nearly tearing into the interior décor of the living room. Ranma, on the other hand, was too busy snatching vases and framed pictures away from his crazed finacee. Kasumi shot one look at Akane's room, spotted the doujinshi, and let out her trademark "Oh my," before rushing down to separate the two.

By the time she arrived she saw Ranma cringing under one of Akane's punches, still balancing two vases, four pictures, and half a dozen various knickknacks. As she leapt between the two Kasumi took in the look of pure anger Akane had directed at Ranma, and Ranma's look of shock and confusion as he tried to dodge Akane's attacks half-heartedly. The eldest Tendo daughter landed between the two fighters, having absolutely no idea what to do to break them up. She didn't get very far, either as one of Akane's carelessly thrown punches headed her way. "Kasumi!" Ranma shouted, reaching in with one arm to block the punch, his reflexes a plit second slower than usual, as he recovered from the surprise of having Kasumi in the middle of the fray. Akane's fist connected with her sister's solar plexus, knocking her back. Ranma cringed as he heard the cracking sound that indicated at least bruised ribs, and spun around to catch an unconscious Kasumi.

Akane was still in attack mode, barely recognizing she had struck something, when Ranma snapped out of his state of shock and started blocking her attacks. It was then she realized she had hit something, and that something was lying in Ranma's arms. She also noticed the look he shot her, filled with hatred. For the first time, she gulped, afraid of her fiancé. "What are you doing flirting with Kasumi? How dare you take advantage of her now?" she tossed at him carelessly. Ranma snarled and leapt out of the room into the night, Kasumi still cradled in his arms.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ono Tofu was about to lock the door to his clinic when a dark shadow leapt down from the nearest roof and landed right in front of him. In the light of the streetlamp, the doctor recognized the face of probably his best customer. However, the pleasantries fled Tofu's mind as he took in the haggard look in Ranma's eyes and the load he was carrying. Fumbling with the key to unlock his clinic again, he beckoned Ranma inside. "Ranma, what happened?" He asked as he led Ranma to an examination room. While the boy was busy laying Kasumi on the bed, he scuttled around flipping on various lights, fighting not to fall back into his Kasumi-mania.

As he started examining the young woman's body, he noiced Ranma turning his back on them, especially as he started unbuttoning Kasumi's blouse to take a look at the bruise Akane's punch had left behind. After making sure Kasumi was fine, Tofu turned his attention to Ranma. "Well, she was quite lucky. That hit missed her lungs and pretty much everything. She has a cracked rib, though, and will need to refrain from straining her right side. That was a pretty powerful blow, though. Ranma…who hit her?" The doctor noticed with interest that the youth's expression darkened visibly.

"Akane," Ranma finally whispered, and Tofu shuddered involuntarily at the icyness that laced his tone. Tofu was shocked. "What?" "You heard me. Akane hit her. We…got into a fight again and she jumped in. I couldn't block it in time…" Tofu noticed Ranma was shaking, though whether in anger at his patient's sister or in shame for failing to protect Kasumi, he didn't know. "Ranma, let me take a look at you, then you can take Kasumi home. She's all right, don't worry. She's sleeping now." He shot a reassuring smile at the boy. As he examined him, his internal question grew into a nagging feeling of unease. _What in Kami's name were they fighting about? I've never seen him this battered before…looks like Akane used him as a punching sack or something_, he thought. And he didn't know how close to the truth he had hit.

After he had given the young martial artist a check-up and made sure none of his bruises and injuries were permanent, Tofu released Ranma. "Ranma, if Akane keeps being like this…I think I'll need to have a talk with her," he told him at the doorstep. "Thanks, Doc," Ranma shot back before leaping off into the night, carrying Kasumi in his arms again. As he leapt off, he heard a slight moan from below and saw Kasumi stirring. He didn't know how she had been knocked out by Akane's punch, then realized that she probably had a way lower pain tolerance than he did…and Akane did hit like a mad ox, at least for normal people. He carefully adjusted her to a more comfortable position and hurried back to the dojo.

He quickly found Kasumi's door and opened it. For the second time in two days he was in here, he mused as he gently laid Kasumi on her bed. The girl rolled around and hung on to him as he drew the covers up to her chin. Quietly trying to dislodge himself from her, Ranma quickly discovered that Kasumi had a stronger grip than he would ever have thought her to have. The martial artist found it impossible to remove the girl's grip on his shirt without damaging the fabric or waking her up. So, he sighed and settled himself as comfortably as he could next to her bed. As he watched over her sleeping form, his gaze wandered to her face, and he froze as he saw a tear slip down from her eye to form a small spot on the pillow. It was soon followed by another one, and another.

Ranma stared at her in puzzlement and fear alike. Kasumi was crying? He suppressed the urge to run away screaming and yelling, for Kasumi to loose her composure was unheard of. Trying to decide on what to do, Ranma decided to do the next best thing he'd picked up from movies – luckily, it was the same thing his instincts told him to do. He shifted Kasumi slightly and sat down on the bed, holding her in his lap. With wonderment he noticed her quiet sobs dying down and her tears drying as her face assumed a serene, almost content expression. Ranma allowed himself a small smile as he settled back against the wall and closed his eyes. He could get used to this.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma woke up early in the morning, the sun wasn't even over the horizon yet. As he shot a glance at Kasumi's alarm clock, he noted it was 4 in the morning. Just then he became acutely aware of the sleeping heap of Kasumi that was bunched up in his lap, one of her arms pillowed under her head, the other hanging on to his left arm. Slowly reaching over, Ranma turned off the alarm and carefully disentangled himself from the sleeping girl. Sighing as he recalled the events of the last night, Ranma didn't feel particularly eager to meet the rest of the household, never mind explain why Kasumi had a couple of cracked ribs. Filling the furo with hot water, he sighed as he slipped in, intending to relax for a few minutes before starting his morning exercise and making breakfast.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Kasumi woke up as the first rays of the sun fell through her window and stretched in her bed. Wondering how she had gotten into her room once more without remembering, she tried to recall what had happened to night before. "Oh my…" she muttered in shock as she stood up and inspected her torso. Sure enough, it was wrapped in a light bandage. Kasumi sighed as she pulled open the curtains. _I'll really have to talk with Ranma-kun and Akane-chan about what happened. My, that was worse than any fight I've seen before._ She smiled slightly as she saw a figure in the garden, going through his katas fluidly in the morning sun.

Kasumi was one of the few, if the only, person who had made it a habit to watch Ranma practice, for the simple reason that his grace and prowess in his katas calmed her more than the most relaxing Tai Chi. It felt as if Ranma wasn't just practicing his Art, it felt as if he had started to **become** the Art. The embodiement of the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu, he seemed to have reached a point where his fights resembled a dance more than actual fighting. She watched him go through moves that she doubted even their fathers could copy with the same elegance and speed, once more amazed at the prowess the youth showed. With a little regret she saw him stop and move back into the kitchen.

As Ranma was setting the table for breakfast, he heard Kasumi come down the stairs. Over the years he had lived with the Tendo family, he had learned to distinguish the different attributes of the people living in the house, from his father's stomping footfalls, over Nabiki's slightly tripping walk – due to the fact that she was still half asleep – to Kasumi's light, quick footfalls. That, and Kasumi's serene aura were pretty distinctive. "Ohayo, Kasumi," he said without even looking up. The girl smiled and stood on the last step for a moment before continuing downwards. "Ohayo, Ranma-kun." As she looked over the breakfast table, she offered him a shy smile. "You didn't have to make breakfast, Ranma," she told him.

"Ah, it wasn't a big deal, I was up early anyway," he stuttered, hoping she wouldn't remember him staying in her room last night. If Akane's temper was hereditary in the Tendo family…He shuddered at the thought of an angry Kasumi. "Ranma-kun, uh…I'd…I wanted to talk to you about what happened last night…" Kasumi finally started. Ranma froze in shock and fear. _Crap. My life's over. I'm done for. Finished. Dead._ "I need to talk to you and Akane about that fight you had," she finished. Ranma let out a sigh of relief. _Phew. Thought I was a goner for a while._ "Well, uh…She screamed, I came to her room." Ranma frowned. "Shoulda known better though, stupid tomboy doesn't want me there even if she's dying. Anyway, I saw she slipped on…something, and she started yelling 'pervert' and started hitting me like mad. I've never seen her so…crazy before. That's about all that happened before you came." He carefully avoided mentioning the doujinshi, knowing full well that it would upset Kasumi.

"What happened then?" Kasumi pried. She had a vague idea of what had happened, and judging from her fuzzy memories and the bandage around her torso, Akane had really blown it this time. Ranma shook his head sadly. "Well, I tried to take the fight outside while Akane was hitting everything in her reach…that's when you jumped in. I tried to block her punch, but I couldn't reach, and she…hit you. I took you to Tofu's after that, and back home after he told me you were going to be fine. He also said you should avoid straining your right side." An uncomfortable silence fell across the living room as the two looked at each other. "I'm sorry," Ranma finally whispered. "For what?" Kasumi stared at him in confusion.

"For not being able to protect you…you're always so nice to me, and I…couldn't even keep you from getting hurt because of something I caused," he said, hanging his head. The girl looked at him in surprise. "Ranma-kun, you have nothing to feel sorry about. I have to thank you for taking such good care of me, and trying to protect me…no one has done so much for me before…And it wasn't your fault…" Kasumi trailed off as she heard footsteps come down the stairs. "Come on, Ranma-kun. Let's get ready for breakfast," she told him with a smile as she settled herself at the table. "I'm dying to see what you cooked up today." She didn't notice the dejected look he shot her at the thought of encountering Akane again.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Breakfast went different from the loud, noisy manner that was inherent to most meals in the Tendo household. Ranma seemed to be quite down, not even noticing or caring that his father kept stealing food from his plate; Kasumi had returned to her usual cheerful self, Nabiki was quiet as she was every morning, Soun had buried himself behind his newspaper, and Akane was alternating between shooting venomous glares at her fiancé and concerned glances at Kasumi. Over night, her twisted logic had managed to shove off all the guilt and responsibility for the fight the night before and the subsequent injury of her sister to a certain pig-tailed martial artist who was currently sitting across from her at the table.

Genma looked up from his food for a second to take in the scene before him. "Ranma! What did you do to your fiancee? Apologize to her now!" He shouted before returning to gobbling down his food. Instead of his usual, hasty, stuttering response, Ranma surprised every single person at the table when he didn't even look up. "Oi, listen oyaji. I ain't done nothin' wrong, so stop bugging me." That earned him a snarl from his father. "How dare you talk to me like that, you ingrate son! Apologize to Akane and to me, right now!"

"Or what? You'll disown me? Go ahead, you'll be doing me a favor, getting rid of all my fiancees. Beat me up? Go ahead and try." Ranma still didn't look up as his father leapt at him in outrage. One and a half seconds, a loud splash, and an annoyed grunt from Ranma later, the young martial artist retracted the fist he had in the air and returned to eating. Genma dragged himself out of the pond and hurled himself at his son once more, intent on bashing him over the head with the sign he had produced from nowhere. "Oyaji, bug off. I told ya, I done nothing wrong, so stop telling me to apologize to that stupid tomboy," Ranma said, his voice still completely even as he caught the sign and landed a half-dozen kicks aimed at sleep-inducing pressure points in the panda's midsection. The groaning panda slumped next to the breakfast table. Ranma never stopped eating.

"What are you talking about, you pervert? First you walk into my room, probably to peek in on me wearing underwear, then you hit Kasumi and take advantage of her! You…you…**PERVERTED BASTARD! RAPIST!**" Ranma cringed slightly and caught a distressed look from Kasumi. He had noticed that Akane's outburst had woken up both Tendo Soun and Nabiki. "What did she say, Ranma?" The elder Tendo asked coolly. "Is that true?" Akane was livid. "Of course it is! What do you expect from a pervert like him? He'll probably start stealing panties, too!"

The sound of flesh meeting wood stopped her tirade before Kasumi could. All eyes turned towards Ranma, who had his fist buried in the doorframe. "Listen now, Tendo Akane." His tone was so low they could barely hear it, but laced so thickly with ice that everyone flinched. "I've had enough of your antics. I've never walked into your room with the intention on peeking in on you. I was merely concerned for you, seeing that you screamed. I never hit Kasumi, and I would never, **never**, take advantage of her…and do you know why? Because I have far too much respect for her. Respect you lost a long time ago, along with my love for you. And for the last part…It wasn't me who hit Kasumi that night, although I am to blame she took that hit. But you were the one to throw the punch, Akane, and that is something I won't forget. You can scold me and insult me, I don't care. You can hit me, I'll heal. But you hit Kasumi, and that I won't forgive." With that, he stood up from the table and walked out the door.

The rest of the occupants of the table were frozen in place, except for Akane. She leapt up and darted after him. "That pervert…liar…how dare he tell those lies! All of this is his fault…" She saw him standing at the gate, school bag in hand. "**Saotome Ranma! Stay right there you pervert and take back those lies!**" She yelled as she charged him with a battlecry, mallet in hand. The rest of the Tendo family wasn't too far behind, fearing the worst for the well-being of the youth currently facing Akane's anger.

Akane brought the mallet down on his head hard, but was surprised to find her strike stopped in mid-air. Suddenly, splinters rained down and she glanced in shock at the hilt of the mallet she once held. Ranma had a finger stretched out. "Ryoga isn't the only person who can master the _Bakusai Tenketsu_," he told her. "I've had enough. You never know when to quit, do you, Akane?"

Kasumi's hand went to her mouth as she looked on in shock. Nabiki was shaking her head in disgust. "Sis, as much as I love you…he's right. You just don't know when to quit. You can only push a person so far…" Of course, at that point, her own conscience caught up with her. _What in the world was I _**thinking**_? This is Ranma, for kami's sake! He'd _**never**_ hit a girl who can't defend herself, least of all Kasumi! Man, Akane must be rubbing off on me…I'm starting to jump to conclusions, too. _Soun was observing the scene, showing no sign of emotion whatsoever. _I guess she did push the boy too far…I wondered when that day would come._

"The engagement is **off**. I denounce every claim anyone makes that I ever was, or will be, engaged to Tendo Akane," Ranma said. With a savage yell, said Akane charged at him, swinging her fists wildly. Ranma dodged her clumsy attacks, and let her exhaust her repertoire of moves before striking back. A palm strike to the center of her chest was all it took. His hand touched her lightly, his upper body leaning forward in his loose stance, sending the girl flying back through the open gate.

"I'm done here. Tendo-san, I'm sorry this didn't work out, but I am not staying with Akane. And no one's going to stop me. Kuno can have her for all I care, although I'd pity him if he did. I'm not going to run away from my engagements and my honor like Pops, but for now, I need to get away before I do something I'd regret later." He turned to look at the other people. "Oh yea, Nabiki. Pops has a couple thousand yen hidden under the third floorboard of the guest room from the door. And Kasumi…I'm sorry, for everything. Send my regards to Ucchan and Shampoo." With that, Saotome Ranma turned and left the Tendo dojo behind.


	2. Chapter Two: New Acquaintances

Chapter 2: New Acquaintances

Saotome Ranma trudged his way to Furinkan High School, one look from his empty eyes enough to send most people scurrying out of his way. There were some, however, who didn't keep out of his path. "Yo, Ranma! 'Sup?" The martial artist waved tiredly at Hiroshi and Daisuke. "Eh, guys. I'm kinda tired today, leave me alone, 'k?" The pair exchanged puzzled looks, then noticed the glum look in their friend's eyes and decided to let him brood in peace. Just as Ranma was about to reach the front gate, a familiar blue blur appeared before him.

"I see the sorcerer Saotome appears without the face of the beauteous Tendo Akane! Can it be that she has broken her hold over him? Has she finally broken free of thy spell, Saotome?" Kuno Tatewaki, self-declared "Blue Thunder" of Furinkan High, and captain of the same school's kendo club, struck a dramatic pose, lightning crashing behind him. Ranma merely shook his head tiredly. "Yeah, along with everything else she managed to break. Listen Kuno. You can have her, but don't ever let her start to hit you, got that?" The older student shot him a surprised look. "What doth thou mean? I could never imagine the fair Tendo Akane resorting to such vile measures as violence!"

"Trust me, Kuno, she does. More often than not, she does…" Before Kuno could get another word out, Ranma shoved past him, leaving the "True Blunder" behind, wondering what the hell had just happened. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he completely missed the schoolbell and missed class, thus resulting in a very elated Kuno doing very boring bucket duty.

_V----------------------------------------V_

By lunch time, half the school was talking about the events that had occurred that morning, from the incidents at the gate to Ranma and Akane not looking at each other in class. Rather, it had been Ranma who had ignored Akane. The girl, on the other hand, had kept shooting murderous looks at the young martial artist. As lunch came, Ranma took his customary shortcut out of the classroom, simply leaping out of the third-story window and vanishing the second he landed on the ground, slipping into his _Umi Sen-Ken_ technique. Once more, he hid deep in a tree, hoping to avoid his fiancees – and his ex-fiancee – for the day.

"Ran-chan! Where are you?" He groaned as he heard Ukyo's voice. It wasn't as if he didn't like her…but sometimes the cook was just a little too much. _A little decency and tact might do her a lot of good,_ Ranma thought sourly. The ring of a bicycle bell accompanied Ukyo's shouts. "Airen! Shampoo bring too too good ramen for lunch! Come to Shampoo and spatula girl!" Ranma's eyes widened as the tree he was sitting in on shook violently. "Aiya! Airen! Come to Shampoo!" Ranma's eyes widened even more as he felt himself slipping from the branch he was sitting on. As he realized he wouldn't be able to save this one, he prayed Akane wasn't anywhere close by.

"Aiya! Airen!" Shampoo caught him in one of her trademark glomps of doom as he fell out of the tree, earning her dirty looks from Ukyo who proceeded to snatch Ranma from her. "Ran-chan, are you all right? You're looking upset? And what's with those rumors that are going around school?" Shampoo shot her interested glances. "What rumors spatula girl talking about?" Ukyo suppressed her anger and stood Ranma back on his feet. "The ones about him and Akane having a fight, and breaking the engagement."

"Well, I had a fight with Akane. Just say it was worse than usual and leave it at that. I broke the engagement and left the dojo. " He mentally prepared himself for the happy outburst from the two women he was sandwiched between. As expected, it came. "Aiya! Airen free to marry Shampoo!" Ukyo, on the other hand, seemed torn between happiness and concern. "Worse than usual? Listen, Ranma, if you want, you can stay with me as long as you want. My door's always open for you." _Man, that baka Akane probably really blew it if he's left the dojo. I mean, nothing against Ran-chan, but free food and lodging? He won't give _**that**_ up without a damn good reason. Damn you, Akane, for doing this to him, _Ukyo thought.

"It's ok, Ukyo. I need some breathing space anyway." He shot his friend an apologetic look. Although he didn't return her affections, Ranma still considered her a friend and felt bad about leaving her like this. But he couldn't tell her where he was planning to go even if he wanted to, for one very simple reason: He himself had no idea where he was going to go for his "vacation." She still looked slightly concerned and glanced over at Shampoo smugly, who had taken his comment as an indication that he was planning on staying at the Cat Café. "And no, Shampoo, I won't be staying at the Cat Café, either. I broke my engagement with Akane, but don't get all gung-ho about it, ok?" He sighed. "Look, folks, I need a break. I've had enough of all of this madness, and I want to get away for a while. And, sorry Ukyo, but you ain't coming with me. And neither are you, Shampoo. End of debate." With that, Ranma walked away.

"Airen!" Shampoo yelled and started running after him, only to find herself restrained by the collar of her dress. "Listen, Shampoo. He's mad and he needs to cool down. Give him time." The amazon turned to face the cook. "But Ranma no shouting and yelling, how is mad?" Ukyo grimaced. "His eyes, Shampoo. His eyes tell you more than his words ever could. He had a big fight with Akane, and if I ever find out what that bitch did this time, I'm gonna…" Her thoughts trailed off as an idea came to her mind. She grabbed Shampoo's wrist and raced off. "Aiya! Where spatula-girl taking Shampoo?"

"We're gonna pay a visit to the Tendos."

_V----------------------------------------V_

Kasumi was sweeping the yard when she heard two pairs of footsteps approach from the front of the yard. Quickly moving to the gate, she was surprised to see Ukyo and Shampoo. "Oh, hello you two. What can I do for you?" she asked as she leaned casually on the broom. She winced slightly as her weight lingered on her cracked ribs for a moment before shifting her stance. The momentary look of discomfort didn't get past the two visitors unnoticed. "Are you all right, Kasumi?" Ukyo asked. The eldest Tendo daughter nodded. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking. So, what brings you here? Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"School can survive a day without me. We wanted to ask someone…something," Ukyo told her. "About what?" Kasumi looked at them quizzically at he enigmatic reply. "About what the hell Akane did to Ranma. Last time I saw him he's ready to break out into tears, announced he broke his engagement, told Kuno he could have her, and says he's going on a vacation." Kasumi's eyebrows kept raising till they vanished under her long brown hair. "Oh my," she let out. "He did take it quite hard…"

"Take **what** quite hard? What in the world happened, Kasumi? I've never seen Ranma this close to breaking down…" Shampoo interrupted Ukyo brashly. "What spatula-girl talking about? Airen totally normal, maybe little cold, nothing Shampoo can't fix!" The amazon declared, flashing her cleavage. Ukyo scowled. "I told you before. Didn't you look at his eyes? They were empty. Totally blank. The only thing that's keeping him from crying and breaking down is his stubbornness." Kasumi stared at the other two girls in shock. "Oh my…" She was quite shocked to hear that the young martial artist had taken the fight with his ex-fiancee so harshly, and she was even more surprised to hear about it from Ukyo. _But then, she's his oldest friend. She probably knows him better than any of us._

Ukyo turned her attention back to her hostess. "So spill it, Kasumi, what happened? What did Akane do this time?" Kasumi glanced away, not being able to look the okonomiyaki chef in the eye. "Akane…said some regrettable things to Ranma, and lashed out at him, more violently than ever before. She…hit me by accident, and Ranma took me to Tofu-sensei's clinic. The next morning everyone kept pushing Ranma to apologize to Akane, and she kept blaming it all on him…and called him…even more regrettable things." Kasumi bowed her head. "Ranma left after telling Akane some things he…maybe should have said earlier." As she launched into a full-sized explanation of the events of the previous two days, Ukyo and Shampoo paled visibly. By the end of her recollection, both girls were visibly shaking with anger, ready to kill one violent tomboy.

_V----------------------------------------V_

As the bell rang signalling the end of school for that day, Ranma rushed back, heading for the Tendo dojo, hoping to reach it before Akane got home. He did, in fact, make it in record time, coming to a dead stop on the roof of the Tendo home. As silently as he could he popped open the window to the guest room and peeked in. After making sure no one was inside, he slipped in and grabbed his backpack, filling it with all his belongings in a matter of seconds. He was about to slip back out of the window, when he heard a rustle behind him. He turned around slowly, unconsciously sliding into a defensive stance.

"Ranma-kun," Kasumi said as she leaned against the doorway. Ranma turned away, partly not wishing to face her, partly trying to hide the tears that kept trying to spill out of the corners of his eyes. He didn't know why he felt that…**guilty** around Kasumi, but he knew he felt bad for failing her. "Please, Ranma-kun, don't leave. It wouldn't be the same without you," the young woman told him. Ranma shook his head. "Sorry, Kasumi, I can't. I…really want to stay, but…I need a break. I need to get away from all of this, to sort out some stuff." He smiled sadly at her. "You know, lately, I've brought you to bed twice, and both times, something in me felt…content. I owe you more than I can tell you, too. If it weren't for you, I probably woulda gone nuts long ago, or wouldna come back from one of Akane's malletings. And I still feel…guilty for letting Akane hit you. I gotta sort that out, too."

Kasumi let her smile falter, allowing the happy façade she showed everyone to crumble. The young man before her deserved a truthful response – even if it meant destroying his illusions of the unfazeable Kasumi. Heck, if he'd seen her sleeping he probably saw through her act already. For some reason, though, this comforted Kasumi. Ranma glanced up, his eyes widening in shock as he saw her thoughtful, almost sad expression. "That night…I never thanked you for coming to me, for comforting me, did I?" She asked no one in particular. He shook his head. "I…never told you why I was crying either, did I?" Again, Ranma shook his head. "I was thinking of mother…when she was still alive, how happy we all were. I never told anyone this, but sometimes I think…all this burden is becoming too much for me to handle, and when you began helping me with the household…it was so nice to have help, to have someone to talk to, to be **noticed**." She hadn't turned away from him while she spoke, and Ranma noticed her eyes were brimming with tears, as well.

"Aww, come on, Kasumi, don't cry…I'm sorry…I guess I never thought about how hard it could be for you to take up this role, to be always happy…" _She's never allowed to show any weakness, either…like me._ Ranma mentally laughed. _We have more alike than I thought._ "If you go, Ranma-kun…everything will go back to the way it was…I'll…I'll be left alone again," Kasumi shook her head slightly. "I may sound selfish saying this, but I don't want things to go back to normal." She managed a small smile. "Normal was far too boring."

They shared a chuckle, and Ranma turned sober again. "I can only imagine. And I'm sorry for leaving you hanging like this, but if I don't go now I might crack and do something I regret. Tell you what, once I figure out where I'll be staying, I'll send you a note and you can come visit me, how's that sound?" Kasumi smiled again, an honest smile this time. "That would be wonderful, Ranma-kun. But…let me know soon, ok?"

Ranma smiled as he hopped on the window sill. "Count on it." And he leapt off.

_V----------------------------------------V_

"Tadaima!" Akane announced as she kicked off her shoes at the front door. She was surprised when she didn't hear Kasumi's customary "Okaerinasai" greeting, and peeked into the kitchen to look for her older sister. "Kasumi-oneechan?" She asked an empty kitchen. "Akane." The girl turned around at the sound of the familiar voice behind her. "Oneechan!" Akane's smile quickly paled as she took notice of the serious look on her sister's face. "What is it?" She asked.

´"We need to talk," Kasumi said simply. "About what?" Akane shot her sister a puzzled look. She didn't recall any matter in the household that really needed talking about. In fact, the house had been quite…quiet since the departure of a certain pig-tailed martial artist that very morning. "About Ranma-kun," Kasumi told her. Akane gulped. Her sister had been very defensive of the youth, and she was at a loss as to why Kasumi would go to such lengths to side with him. _Maybe because he's the only one to ever help her around the house? Or maybe because he's the only one who shows appreciation for what she does?_ Akane thought guiltily. No, Kasumi had every right to side with Ranma.

"What about that pervert? He didn't do anything again, did he?" Kasumi shook her head. "Akane…did you ever **see** Ranma-kun do something perverted?" Seeing her sister's hesitation, Kasumi plowed on. "Did you ever see him not trying to get loose from Shampoo? Did you ever see him do anything dishonorable?" Akane could only feebly shake her head. "Ranma has risked his life and reputation more times than I can count for you, yet you blame everything that happens to you on him. His only fault is that he tries very hard not to hurt either of you. He's trying not to hurt you, or Shampoo, or Ukyo. They are his friends, Akane, and you should respect that." Kasumi sighed. "You know," she whispered, "you know, there is more to Ranma than you make him be. You never even gave him a chance, Akane." Without another word, Kasumi turned and left a bewildered Akane behind. Before she left the living room, Kasumi shot one last question at Akane. "Don't you think it's a little quiet here?"

_V----------------------------------------V_

Later that day, Akane was wandering the streets of Nerima aimlessly, trying to do something she had never really thought about doing before – thinking about Ranma. Trying to think of the young martial artist as something other than the stupid, single-minded pervert she had made him out to be. She had been surprised when she had realized that Kasumi was right. Ranma had dropped hints here and there before that there was something deeper to him, something that lay underneath the brash and confident boy he showed the world. Her thoughts were violently interrupted as a familiar miniature throwing cooking utensil embedded itself at her feet. As she looked up, Akane gulped. Ukyo and Shampoo were blocking the road in front of her, murder in their eyes.

"What do you want?" The two didn't even flinch at the icyness of Akane's tone. "It's obvious, isn't it? We are here to have a talk." Ukyo told Akane. "About Áiren," Shampoo added. Akane sighed. "What is there to talk about?" Ukyo started counting off on her fingers. "First, your relationship. Second, the way he treated you. Third, the way **you **treated **him**. Fourth, what happened last night." Akane's shoulders slumped more with each item the okonomiyaki chef counted off.

"There's nothing to talk about," Akane began. Ukyo interrupted her brashly. "There ain't much to talk about, sugar, but we'll talk, and you'll listen. Got that?" Both girls moved into offensive stances, blocking both ways out of the alley. Akane surrendered to the inevitable. "All right, talk already."

"How many times has Ranma saved you, or come to your rescue?" Ukyo shook her head without even letting the other girl reply. "More times than I can count. He even broke a date with Shampoo, risking his chance to get the instant Nannichuuan to help you against the dojo destroyer. Sometimes it was his fault that you were in danger, but ask yourself this – did he ever let you down? I'll tell you the answer, sugar. **Not once**. Or you wouldn't be here at this very instant. He never gave up, never surrendered when you were in danger. And how did you pay him back? You hit him and call him a pervert and call him names. From what it sounds like, Akane, **you** were the pervert. After all, weren't you the one who kept walking in on him in the baths? Wasn't it you who kept the doujinshi in your bedroom?" The girl paused her tirade for a moment. "We all knew Ranma deserved better than you, but you know what? Despite all you put him through, despite all his fighting with Ryoga over you, despite all he had to risk for you – his life, his honor – he stuck with you." Ukyo shook her head sadly, indicating at herself and Shampoo. "Somehow, we both never even measured up to you. We tried our best to win Ranma, but in the end, he chose you. He **loved** you, you foolish girl." And Ukyo turned around and walked away. Shampoo mirrored her movements. "Violent girl no know what she had," the amazon threw over her shoulder.

Once more that day Akane was left thinking about one Saotome Ranma.

_V----------------------------------------V_

"Man, this pointless walking ain't gonna get me nowhere," Ranma said to no one in particular. "Hell, I don't even have the faintest idea where I am." It was nighttime, and unknowingly, Ranma's feet had taken him all the way to Juuban district, just off Tokyo. He tossed his backpack to the ground and stretched out on the grass. As he waited for sleep to come, he looked up at the stars in the sky, a slight smile spreading across the boy's face as he recalled camping under the stars like this with his father on their training trip to China. For a moment, the fond memories of sleeping under the clear night sky banished the curse of the curse.

Then the moment of tranquility shattered, and Ranma found that everything he had been trying to avoid came crashing back full force. The memories of Akane's malletings, the anger he felt at Ryoga's cowardly attacks, the pure rage he had felt when Akane had hit Kasumi, and his desire to strike down the offending tomboy at that very instant. The way she had acted that very morning, her accusations. _Perverted Bastard! Rapist!_ Her words echoed in his mind. _No! I'm not a pervert! I didn't take advantage of anyone!_ Dozens of emotions flickered across his face before settling on a cross between anger and anxiety. The memories kept piling up, the treatment of his father, the Neko-Ken, the Amazons. The Neko-Ken. The ultimate martial arts technique. Unfortunately, with a little catch. _You go insane. Great. That moron didn't even read one _**damned**_ sentence further._ The bad memories continued to pile up to a steadily growing mountain, until Ranma felt like pulling a Ryoga and releasing the mother of all _Shishi Hôkôdan_s. He felt like crying.

"A yen for your thoughts?" A voice asked beside him. Ranma glanced sideways, to find that a young man had sat down next to him. "You're not from here, are you?" The stranger said. "I've never seen you around, and Juuban is a small district." Ranma smiled. "Juuban, huh?" The pig-tailed martial artist replied, glad for the distraction from his depression. The stranger smiled an turned to look at the martial artist. "You look like the kind of person who usually finds solace in the stars," the man continued, seemingly not caring if Ranma paid attention or not. "Not this time, though. You're not finding what you're looking for in the stars tonight."

Ranma shook his head and chuckled without humor. "You don't know how right you are," he told the other man. "May I ask what troubles you?"At Ranma's sour face, the stranger chuckled, as well. "Let me guess. It involves girls?" "How'd you know?" The stranger leaned back. "Your eyes. Plus, common sense. Girls **always** evoke that kind of trouble." Ranma laughed out loud. "Hit the nail on the head."

They sat in silence for a moment, before Ranma began. He didn't know why he started, maybe it was the rush of emotions he had experienced earlier, maybe the pent-up anger at his ex-fiancee, he didn't know. But this time, no tears would come. Instead, the words flowed. "Well, you see, before I was even born, my father made this deal with his best friend. They wanted to unite their schools of martial arts, and promised to marry their children. So, now I got stuck engaged to his friend's daughter. I guess this would be a good time to tell you a little about the Tendos," Ranma returned his gaze to the stars, not caring all that much that he was opening up to a complete stranger, in the middle of a park in a district he knew nothing about, and he knew no one in. "There's their father – my father's friend – and his three daughters. His wife died prematurely, and ever since then he's been a little on the off side. He's a nice person, though, even if he overdoes it a little sometimes. There's Kasumi, his oldest daughter. She's…sweet, gentle, caring. She took up her mother's place after she died and kept the household running. Kasumi is happy, but always sad, she's wise, yet naïve, gentle, but insistent." Ranma sighed. "If I were asked to describe a goddess, Kasumi would fit the bill perfectly."

Ranma shifted to make himself more comfortable. "There's Nabiki, the middle daughter. She puts up a cold façade, and she's the one who earns the money with her little enterprises in school. If there's an intrigue somewhere, you can be sure Nabiki has info on it. She acts like a mercenary, but she cares about her family when it really counts. Then, there's Akane. Tendo-san's youngest daughter." Ranma's face turned sour. "She's the exact opposite of Kasumi. She's temperamental, unrestrained, violent. She thinks everything can be solved by violence, and keeps hitting other people – she never listens to what you have to say, and she doesn't care. She thinks all boys are perverts, yet she falls all over an... old acquaintance of mine. Everything that happens she blames on someone else, Akane never accepts blame or responsibility for anything. She can't cook, yet forces everyone to eat her food. I pray you never taste it, or you might end up in hospital with food poisoning – she mistook the kerosene for vegetable oil once – but never once tastes her own cooking. She thinks she's the best martial artist in all of Nerima, but she has done nothing but break bricks and beat up dummies. She thinks she excels at it all, but she can't stand someone who surpasses her in anything."

"So, surely you picked Kasumi when you found out when you were engaged to one of them?" The stranger asked. At Ranma's shake of head, he shot him a bewildered look. "Then at least the second daughter? I mean, she doesn't sound too nice, but compared to the way you describe this Akane, she seems like an angel." Again, Ranma shook his head. "You see, my father took me on a training trip to China before he told me of the engagement. Without knowing a word of Chinese, mind you. Which meant he didn't understand a single word of what was written in the travel guide about the training grounds of Jusenkyo. Or the hundred or so warning signs around the place. They're a bunch of springs – actually, they're a crapload of springs. And they're cursed – they ain't called 'Pools of Sorrow' for nothin', ya know. Whatever drowned in them last, you turn into it after you fall in. Well, Pops and I fell in. He fell into the Spring of Drowned Panda, while I fell into the Spring of Drowned Girl – the Nyannichuuan. Now, every time I get splashed with cold water, I turn into a girl. I turn back into a boy with hot water. Pops is the same, except he turns into a panda." Ranma didn't know why, but somehow he felt at ease talking to the stranger about his curse.

"And of course you arrived in your cursed forms?" The other man asked. Ranma nodded. "It was pouring that day, and Pops had knocked me over the head. So you can imagine the Tendos' reaction when a giant panda walked through their front door with an unconscious girl over its shoulder. When they found out about the curse, Kasumi and Nabiki immediately shoved Akane forward to take up the engagement." Ranma smiled wryly. "Not that I blame them, it musta been quite a shock. I seemed to hit it off pretty well with Akane, she offered to spar with me and asked if I wanted to be friends. Anyway, Akane walked in on me in the bath later on – totally disregarding the 'occupied' sign – and of course yelled 'hentai' and proceeded to hit me when she found out I was really a guy. Things have been going downhill ever since then. I had to save her from others and herself more times than I can count, and she kept blaming me for everything that went wrong in her life. To top it off, this old friend of mine got a curse from Jusenkyo, too – how he got it is another story – but he turns into a piglet. And Akane thinks he's her pet, so she sleeps with him and generally keeps him around. And that bastard made me swear on my honor I wouldn't reveal his secret. Anyway, I thought things had gotten better after last month." Ranma paused a little.

"What happened?"

"Saffron of Phoenix Mountain happened. We went on a training trip, and Akane got kidnapped again. Saffron nearly killed her." The young martial artist shook his head. "You're talking about the Phoenix God Saffron?" The stranger asked. "Yeah. Anyway, I had to kill him. He got reborn immediately, but as a tiny little bird, so we left him alone. Akane and I went back, and we had a wedding. Unfortunately, it was crashed. Someone invited my other fiancees, and they blew up the chapel, quite literally." Noticing his companion's raised eyebrow at the mention of his "other fiancees", Ranma sidetracked. "My greedy, good-for-nothing father promised me to just about every girl out there for as little as a bowl of rice and a pickle. Oh right, and two fish. Can't forget those two fish. Last count was at…hm…I think thirty-seven so far. Anyway, they bombed the wedding. After that, Akane kinda blamed me for it, saying I told them to ruin the wedding because I didn't want to marry her – although it was her who had been struggling against the wedding tooth and nail before. I tried to be nice to her for the next couple of weeks. I also started helping Kasumi with the housework. I never realized it, but she does more work than the rest of us put together – I don't know how she does it all in one day. Anyway, I found her asleep on the kitchen counter one night and brought her to her room." Ranma didn't know why he said that, but he continued nonetheless.

"One day I got up earlier than she did, drew a bath for her and made breakfast. Anyway, that night I heard Akane scream in her room and ran up to see what happened. Turns out she had been chasing her pet pig to give him a hot bath – of course he panicked at the mention of hot water, and ran away. A booklet had dislodged from under her pillow, and she had slipped on the doujinshi. She looked up, saw me, and started yelling and screaming and hitting. She went crazy, not even thinking who or what she was hitting – half the time her kicks and punches weren't even going my way. Akane almost destroyed the interior décor, and I'm pretty sure Kasumi wouldn't have liked that. Anyway, Kasumi jumped in and tried to separate us. Akane was too far gone and just kept punching, and hit her. I took Kasumi to a doctor after that."

Ranma's voice had been getting colder as he recounted the events of that night. "The next day, Akane stood up at the breakfast table, made a fuss, and accused me of being a pervert and a rapist, of walking into her room with perverted intentions. She said she'd chased me out with her righteous fury, and that I subsequently had hit and taken advantage of Kasumi. I…snapped." Ranma sighed as he told the other man how he'd walked out of the Tendo home this morning. "I couldn't care less about what she calls me, or that she blames me for everything. But what I couldn't take was…was…"

"Was that she accused you of hitting and taking advantage of Kasumi, right?" The stranger smiled. "You don't seem the type to do that sort of thing. More like the kind of person who respects others for what they can do, and holds honor in highest regard." They sat in silence for a while, before the stranger spoke up again. "You like her, don't you?" "Who?" Ranma returned the question. "You like a girl, and she's not one of your fiancees." He shot a smile at Ranma. The pig-tailed martial artist was glad the darkness hid his blush. "Kasumi? I…I don't know."

"Yes, Kasumi. You like her, but you don't know if you love her yet – that's what you meant when you told her you needed time to figure things out this afternoon, isn't it?" The stranger didn't wait for Ranma's reply. "I can't fault you," he chuckled. "If she's just half of what you told me she is, she's a dream come true."

"Yeah, she is…"

"Say, do you have a place to spend the night?" Ranma suddenly glanced over at the stranger's question. "Not really. I was planning to camp out here, like I used to." "Tell you what, why don't you come to my place? I'd like the company, and you can stay as long as you like." Ranma grimaced. "Nah, I wouldn't want to impose."

"Oh, I insist," the stranger said, and Ranma could hear the smile. "All right, thanks," he told him. Suddenly, he laughed. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. Just the fact that I never realized how talking actually helps," Ranma told him. "My name is Saotome Ranma," he added. The stranger nodded. "Meiou Ryoko." Ranma kept laughing. Ryoko wasn't Kasumi, but he had been a good listener nonetheless, and Ranma did feel better.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma woke up the next day early as usual, for a moment suspicious at the lack of his father throwing him out of the window before remembering where he was. After he fully woke up, the young martial artist made his way out of the house as quietly as he could. He didn't see any trace of his host, and assumed Ryoko was still asleep. The greater was his surprise when he opened the door and saw Ryoko not only up and in the backyard, but going through a complex kata that rivalled some of Ranma's. As he finished with a fluid roundabout sweep and roll, Ryoko fell back into a ready stance, then turned to face Ranma. "Morning. Up already?"

"Yeah. I was going to practice some before breakfast…" Ranma started. His host smiled. "Well, the court is all yours. I'm gonna start making breakfast – anything you'd like?" The Saotome shook his head. "Not really." Ryoko nodded as he headed inside, leaving Ranma alone outside. He started on his katas as as he waited for breakfast.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ryoko glanced up from the breakfast table as he heard his guest enter through the door. "Help yourself, Ranma," he said as he handed the other man a bowl of rice and pickles. To be honest, Ranma didn't expect the food to be good, but he was hungry nonetheless, and it would be rude not to eat. As he ate, he noticed – even though he was inhaling it at almost impossible speeds – that it was surprisingly close to the quality of Kasumi's cooking. Eyeing the man on the other side of the table, Ranma assessed his host for the first time. He was a lean man of average height, maybe three or four inches taller than Ranma, seemingly in his mid-twenties, with a slightly darker complexion. He looked Japanese, though. The oddest thing Ranma noticed about Ryoko were his eyes and his hair color. Ryoko's hair was green, a green so dark most would dismiss it as black, but Ranma picked up the fact that under the right light, his hair shimmered in a dark emerald color. The thing that set off Ranma most about the other man, though, was his eyes. Ryoko's eyes were a deep, dark shade of red, and Ranma could see the age and experience behind those eyes. Age and experience way beyond his apparent physical age, much like Ranma's own. Maybe that was why he felt so comfortable talking to the other man, they both carried burdens that were way too heavy for them, but none other wanted – or could – carry.

Somehow, he felt sorry for the guy who ever had to face Ryoko's angry stare. "So, wha' d' ya do, 'f ya d'n' m'n me 'skin'," Ranma mumbled through a mouthful of rice. At Ryoko's amused glance, he swallowed and repeated himself. "What do you do, if ya don't mind me asking?" "I work part time as a doctor in the local hospital, and teach at the local high school. We get all sorts of weird cases here in Juuban," Ryoko said with a friendly grin. _Hm… a martial arts doctor…sounds familiar,_ Ranma thought with a smile. "What do you mean, weird cases?"

"Ah, you probably won't believe it till you see it, but we get regular monster attacks here. Most of the people got used to it that Juuban is a little weird." Ranma chuckled at his host's explanation. "Oh, trust me, I've seen some weird stuff." Arching an eyebrow, Ryoko leaned back in his chair and put down his bowl and chopsticks. "As weird as youma appearing out of thin air and magical girls in shorter-than-decent skirts appearing to fight them?" Ranma smirked and shook his head. "Actually, no. I've seen worse. A lot worse." Both men chuckled. "Really? You'll have to tell me about it sometime. But…" with a glance at his watch, Ryoko rose from his chair and grabbed his jacket from the chair. "I gotta get to work."

As he walked out of the door, he turned and looked at Ranma again. "By the way, if you plan on staying away from your problems for a while, I suggest that you enroll in the local high school. Juuban High is the big white building complex just east of here. You can't miss it."


	3. Chapter Three: Encounter of the 3rd kind...

Chapter Three: Encounter of the Third Kind? Enter the Senshi

Indeed, Juuban High School was such a distinct object in Juuban skyscape that even Ryoga would have found it hard to get lost on his way there. As it was, Ranma walked through the front gates of school. He had deliberately taken his time walking through the district, and knew he wouldn't make it for the first lesson. "Can I help you?" The secretary at the school counselor's office asked. "Yeah, I just moved here, and I'd like to enroll for classes." The secretary nodded. "And your name?"

Ranma hesitated for a moment. He couldn't use his real name. _Come on, Saotome, think. It can't be that hard to come up with a fake name!_ "Err, my name's Satori Ryoga, yeah, Satori Ryoga." He dished out the first name that came to mind. Inwardly, he cringed. _Great…Why'd I have to think about Ryoga _**now**The secretary nodded and went to announce him to the counselor. It was only a moment before the secretary came out and nodded at him. "You can come in now. Meiou-sensei is waiting for you." Ranma's eyebrow went up. "Meiou-sensei?" _What's Ryoko doing here?_

The martial artist nodded his thanks and entered the office. And stopped dead in his tracks. Before him sat one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. He quickly shook it off and took the seat she offered him. Her expression seemed only slightly amused, as if she got this kind of reaction a lot. "My name is Meiou Setsuna, I'm the counselor here," she told him. "So, Satori-san, you are planning to enroll in Juuban High?" Ranma nodded. "Where are you transferring from? Did you bring any of your old papers?" The young martial artist started fumbling around in his backpack. "Hang on a sec," he told her as he looked for his old transcripts. "Ah." He pulled out several crumpled sheeths of paper and smoothed them out on her desk. Ask she leaned back to study them, Ranma took his first real look at the woman in front of him.

She looked somehow familiar. Her hair was an odd dark green, and left Ranma to wonder whether it was her natural hair color or not. She was quite tall, about an inch or so taller than Ranma, and had dark skin, by eastern standards. What caught him most about her was her dark, burning red eyes. Even while not active trying to read her aura, he could feel her powerful presence. He snapped out of his observation of her when she laid down the papers and looked at him. "All right, err, you do realize those grades are from grad school? Don't you have anything more recent?" Ranma shook his head. "Not with me."

"Well, all right. I'll assign you to a junior class then." She stood up, prompting Ranma to do the same, and walked out of the office. "Hikari-san, would you please walk over Satori-san here over to the junior C class and inform their instructor?" The secretary nodded and smiled at Ranma, beckoning him to follow her.

_V----------------------------------------V_

The door to the classroom opened, and Hikari walked in, pulling the teacher aside. Moments later, he nodded and she left the room again. "Class, I know it's three weeks into the semester, but we have a new student joining us today. He just moved to Juuban, so please give a warm welcome to Satori Ryoga!" The door opened again and Ranma stepped through. He stood in front of the class sheepishly, then took the seat the teacher assigned him. Right in front of a bunch of girls, he noted. He also noticed that they were appreciatively looking him up and down. More appreciatively than he actually felt comfortable with, and he cursed himself for not thinking of applying in his cursed form – it would make dealing with girls much easier, and cold water was easier to come by than warm water.

Minako's eyes widened as she took in the boy who entered the class. Her eyes immediately took on heart shapes as her imagination went into overdrive. Makoto, who was sitting on her left, didn't help, as she was literally drooling over the new arrival. Ami sighed from behind them and started prodding the two girls to wake them from their stupor. Usagi didn't notice. She was still sound asleep.

_V----------------------------------------V_

When the bell for lunch break rang, Ranma took his usual shortcut out the window of the classroom. He heard the surprised gasps from behind him as the students looked at the drop of the apparently suicidal boy. With a glance downwards, Ranma realized that he wasn't on the third floor anymore, as had been the case in Furinkan. Instead, he was on the fifth floor. Ranma shrugged. _Not a problem._ He slightly adjusted his flight path, added a flip for show, and landed softly as ever. Judging from the clapping and whistling above, there weren't too many decent martial artists around here. Then he realized, if there weren't, then he'd be drawing unwanted attention to himself by pulling stunts like these. _Aww, jeeze. Gotta cut the martial arts._

As he headed over to sit under a lone tree, he noticed a group of girls heading his way. He recognized them as the girls sitting behind him in class, and groaned. _With my luck, Oyaji probably engaged me to some more girls over here…_ Ranma thought dryly. He quickly took in a blonde with her hair worn long and tied with a ribbon at the small of her back leading – or rather, dragging – the rest of them along. His gaze wandered over the rest of the odd group of girls. A tall brunette, a cute blue-haired girl with a pageboy cut, and another blonde with an odd hairstyle. She actually wore her long hair in two buns and ponytails. Ranma shrugged. _Whatever floats your boat, I guess._

When they reached him, he glanced up from the lunch he had purchased. "Can I do anything for you?" He asked.

_V----------------------------------------V _

Minako almost swooned as she heard him address her. All right, maybe she wasn't about to swoon, but her mind went into overdrive again. So did Makoto's. Usagi just plain looked confused. "Err…who is that?" she asked. Ami sighed and nudged the blonde. "He is the new student in our class. I think you were asleep while he was introduced," she sighed. Before any of them could say anything, Minako had started talking to the new boy. "HimynameisAinoMinakopleasedtomeetyouIheardyou'renewherewantmetoshowyouaround?" As the boy shot her an odd look, like the look you'd direct at people who were geeking, Usagi broke out into giggles, and even Ami smiled. Minako was pretty unintelligible when she was in this mode. "She said, 'Hi, my name's Aino Minako, pleased to meet you, I heard you're new here, would you like me to show you around?'" Ami translated for the puzzled boy.

"Ah," he replied, still not fully looking up from his lunch. When he was done a second later, he stood. "Name's Satori Ryoga. Nice to meet ya. You're all in my class, aren't you?" Contrary to popular belief, Ranma **did** have manners – he just didn't show them too often. His gaze wandered over all of them. Minako, by this time, was reduced to a babbling mess, with Makoto a close second. Ranma shot them a concerned look. "Something wrong with those two?" The other two girls just shook their heads, and he could see they were trying to hold back laughter. The bell rang, and Ranma took that as his cue to leave. "Well, see you later. Been nice meeting you." _Weird girls_, he thought as he walked away to the gym.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Gym class added a new element of wonder for the population of Juuban High. One Saotome Ranma – now Satori Ryoga – leaping, twisting, and bouncing in the air, generally amazing the other people assembled in the gym, including the instructor. Despite his earlier vow to keep his martial arts training strictly under seal, Ranma couldn't see the harm in excelling in the excercises. And showing off just a tiny little bit while at it. The instructor then announced that their new martial arts instructor had finally arrived, and the announcement was met with one of two reactions from each student: exasperation, or desperation. Half of the student population felt this was going to be suicide, while the other half thought this was going to be fun. Makoto was one extreme. She was hopping up and down in glee, dying to learn more kickass martial arts. Ami just shook her head at her friend, and Ranma shot an amused look at the girl who was acting more like a five-year old than the young woman she usually was.

When the instructor finally walked in, Ranma's eyes bugged out. It was Ryoko. He was wearing a simple dark crimson gi, and strode into the middle of the gym. He shot one look at Ranma, smiled and nodded, and turned his attention back to the class as he started his lesson. Ranma tuned him out for the most part, because Ryoko was starting with what could be considered basic stuff – stances, punches, breathing excercises. While he did do the excercises, he didn't need to listen to the other man to know what to do. He did pay attention, though, when he caught Ryoko's eye. Motioning for him to join him in the center of the floor, Ryoko gave a small smile. "Would you please step up and assist me?"

Ranma headed up to the front of the class. He was idly wondering what Ryoko was planning, and he received a quick answer when his host took up a position across from him. "Would you be inclined to help me in a little demonstration?" Ryoko's eyes glinted. "Are you challenging me, Meiou-sensei?" Ranma shot back, smiling as well, the same glint in his eyes. "I am." The two bowed to each other. Ryoko moved into a defensive stance, while Ranma moved into an offensive one. Both started seizing each other up. The room had gotten deathly quiet as no one knew what to expect.

Ranma glanced at Ryoko. He bore the stance of a seasoned fighter, and Ranma had seen him practice, and he knew he was good. The fact that he had entered a defensive stance indicated he wanted Ranma to give it his best shot, and show their students what their Art was capable of. Ranma smiled. He was in for the fight of his life. He launched himself at this sparring partner, starting with a high kick, followed by a low sweep and a flurry of punches. Ryoko dodged them all, then blocked a punch and slammed a rather powerful blow into Ranma's solar plexus. Or what was supposed to be powerful. Ryoko's fist barely touched Ranma before withdrawing, and they both fell back into their stances. Both were wearing small smiles.

"Not bad." Ranma grinned. "You don't know half of it." With that, Ranma launched himself into the air, and aimed a flying kick at Ryoko's head. His target cocked his head to the side, caught Ranma's leg in an Aikido grip, and was about to throw him when Ranma threw his balance forward, breaking loose of Ryoko's grip and feather-lightly touching the back of his opponent's head with the heel of his foot. Both opponents leaped into the air now, becoming a blur of motion as they unleashed blows at near-Amaguri-Ken speeds. The rest of the people in the gym gaped, and Makoto was seriously drooling about this demonstration of martial arts prowess. Minako was drooling as well, but for entirely different reasons.

When they both landed, both combatants took stock of their situation. Neither had managed to touch the other during their aerial fight. Both were still smiling. "Ready for some more advanced techniques, sensei?" He asked in a light tone. He didn't mock Ryoko for one very good reason – his growing respect for the other's martial arts prowess. So far, he had been one of the few people to be able to match his aerial kata, and there was no denying he was **good**. "Ready when you are," Ryoko replied with the same light tone and smile.

Ranma threw a snap-kick at Ryoko, then shouted, "_Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-Ken_!" Ryoko's smile never wavered as he calmly replied, "_Munashii Raishuu_," his hands moving in front of his body, palms flat and facing Ranma. Said pig-tailed youth began unloading punches for a good twenty second before retreating. Oddly enough, he hadn't felt a single one connecting. His eyes had seen and counted every single one of his punches, and Ryoko never made a move to block them. Either Ryoko hadn't blocked, or his _Munashii Raishuu_ had enabled him to move faster than even Ranma could see. Both moved apart again. Both hadn't broken a sweat yet, still, Ryoko bowed to him and motioned him that they were done. "Thank you,." He turned back to the class. "So, who wants to learn how to do that?"

A uniform roar thundered through the gym as every single student shouted an affirmative. Ryoko winked at Ranma. The pig-tailed martial artist shook his head, grinning, and whispered as he passed Ryoko. "You're sneaky, ya know that? And I go by Satori Ryoga here." He missed Ryoko's reply. Had he heard it, he would have heard his host say, "I think I got that from my sister."

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ryoko walked down the street, his glance occassionally flickering over to his companion. The young woman who was walking next to him had long flowing dark green hair and the same piercing red eyes. She also carried the same last name. "So, what did you think of 'Ryoga'?" Ryoko asked her. Setsuna shrugged. "Well, he seems to be a nice person. And there's less trouble than I expected – besides, I was hoping you could tell me more about him, considering he's staying at your house…" she noted with a smirk. Her brother groaned. "Ya know sis, if I didn't know better, I'd say the guardian of the time gate is slowly falling for Saotome Ranma's unearthly charms," he teased, which earned him a playful punch from the emerald-haired beauty next to him. "Ooh! I'll get you for that!"

Ryoko laughed. "If you can touch me. Catch me if you can!" With that, he leaped up into the air and up a nearby roof. He started running and leaping. Setsuna, on the other hand, calmly pulled out an intricately decorated pen and shot an evil smile in the direction her brother had taken off in.

Roughly five minutes later, Ryoko jumped down from the roof of the apartment Setsuna shared with Te'nou Haruka, one Kaiou Michiru, and Tomoe Hotaru. The inhabitants of the apartment only gave him an amused look. Ryoko allowed himself a small smile – that is, until he heard a foot tapping the ground. With an arched eyebrow, he turned to see his sister stand in the doorway holding a stopwatch. When she had found time to change and get the watch, he didn't know, but she told him, "Four minutes, twenty-seven seconds. Seventeen seconds faster than last time," with a grin. _I'll have to get her to teach me that teleportation trick of hers one day…_Ryoko thought.

"I'm getting there," Ryoko noted with a smirk, before turning sober. "Did you look into Ranma's past yet?" When his sister shook her head, he beckoned her to come closer. Setsuna leaned in, and he whispered, "Don't. Not without asking him first. If only half of what he's told me about his past is true, then I really don't want him to be found. Not before he recovered." The green-haired woman arched an eyebrow. "It's that bad? I was wondering why you called me this morning and asked to enroll a complete stranger under whatever name he'd give me. Not to mention falsify his records to keep anyone from finding him." "He has his reasons. And trust me, Setsuna. They are **good** reasons." He considered for a moment to tell her more, but then decided otherwise. It wasn't his place to tell her. "You're not going to tell me what this is all about, are you?" Setsuna sighed. "Ask him, if you really want to know. Then you can check the time gates."

"So, who is he? It's not everyday you pick a boy off the street and have me alter records to enroll him." Turning his head around to look down the street, Ryoko grimaced. "He's a world-class martial artist. With more fiancees than you can count, and even more people after him to challenge him." Setsuna shuddered. "It's that bad?" She didn't like the wry grimace her brother gave her. "It's worse." He turned around and stepped away from the door, his face lighting up again in a smile – which didn't fool Setsuna, of course. "I will ask him, then." Ryoko nodded his thanks.

"Well, Ryoko, see you tomorrow. Keep out of trouble, all right?" Setsuna smiled slightly. Her brother nodded. "Anything you want me to tell your boyfriend?" Ryoko shot back, grinning. Behind his sister he could see the other occupants of the house erupt into motion as they tried to hear more about the local "Ice Queen's" boyfriend. Setsuna, for her part, gasped and tried to smack Ryoko, who was already two blocks down the road, waving behind him.

When he was out of sight, she sighed. The senshi of time was internally debating whether to just check up on one Saotome Ranma right now, via the time gates. However, something in the words of her brother held her back. She didn't like not knowing all the facts, and she didn't like a wild card like Ranma. But then again, she had the unusually bad feeling that it wouldn't do her very good to watch his life if she didn't even know where to start. His entire life couldn't have been one big struggle like Ryoko had said. Right?

_V----------------------------------------V_

"Nothing? No weird appeareances, no mass destruction? What do you mean, 'not beyond the normal levels'? Oh right, it **is **Juuban after all. Well, try somewhere else! Try Nekomi!" Nabiki continued to listen to the phone for a while, then sighed. This was getting pointless. For three days she had been trying to figure out where Ranma was, and she hadn't found a single trace. Nothing. Nada. Zero.

And that pissed her off immensely. If there was anything Tendo Nabiki prided herself of, then it was the fact that she eventually found out every secret. Unfortunately, this time the emphasis seemed to be on the word "eventually." So far, Ranma had eluded her grasp, and she didn't like it. As much as she could understand the young martial artist's reasons for running away, she very much wanted him back. He was too much of an asset to just let go like that. At least, that was what she told everyone else. Despite whatever act she put up for everyone else, she liked the pig-tailed martial artist. He'd become family for her. _The guy tends to grow on you…_she mused. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door.

"Come in," she said, without a doubt about who it would be. "Tendo-san, please excuse our intrusion into your home, but we must speak with you on important business. It concerns son-in-law." Nabiki didn't even turn at the sound of Cologne's voice. _Heh. They are fast. I just got out of school and they're already here_. "Let me guess…you've come to ask me where he is." It wasn't a question. "Mercenary girl know where Airen is, tell Shampoo now!" A new, rather shrill voice cut in.

"No."

"What?" Cologne looked startled. Nabiki had finally turned around. "I said, no. What part didn't you understand?" Cologne gave her a puzzled look. "I didn't understand why you would deny us the knowledge of our rightful claim?" Nabiki sighed. "Two reasons. First, I have absolutely no clue as to where he is myself. He just left, and didn't tell anyone where he'd go. Heck, I don't think even he had an idea of where to go. And don't think I haven't tried to find him. It looks like I have underestimated him…" Nabiki trailed off, then returned her gaze to the two amazons before her. "And second, even if I knew where he was, I wouldn't tell you. You know why? Because he deserves better than Shampoo."

"Oh, like your sister, you mean?" Cologne asked mockingly. She was honestly surprised when Nabiki nodded. "Yes, like my sister. I am not talking about Akane, though. I don't like saying it, but, to put it blunt, I do believe Akane is the worst of his fiancees. No, I wasn't talking about Akane. I was talking about Kasumi. She and Ranma have been getting closer ever since the…wedding incident." Nabiki smartly avoided mentioning that it was her who had arranged for the wedding to be ruined. Of course, it had all been in Ranma's and Akane's "best interest," or so she thought. "You should have seen her. He's been helping her with the household, and she smiles. He talks to her, and she laughs. I mean, she honestly laughs out loud. She hasn't done that since our mother died. And he leaves…she is broken." Nabiki shot Cologne and icy glare. "And despite what you may think of me, I look out for my family."

Cologne and Shampoo had been silent. After a while, the younger amazon opened her mouth. "Tell Shampoo where Airen is!" She wailed. Nabiki shook her head. "I won't, and especially not to you. I know he considers you a friend – and not more. You, on the other hand, consider him an object, a prize to be won. You never thought about his feelings, didn't you? You were so blinded by your own little enterprise of winning him that you never saw what he was trying to tell you. So…as a friend…I ask you to give him this time alone. He needs it. And more than anything, he needs friends right now, not fiancees who go after him yelling and screaming. No, Elder Cologne, I'm sorry, but I can't help you." With that, Nabiki slipped into the tone of voice that had built her reputation as the "Ice Queen," and turned around, signalling that the conversation was at an end.

When they had gone, Nabiki was awed at herself. "What the hell just happened? Sheesh, I musta hung around Saotome too often – I'm spouting more gibberish than he is." She sighed and allowed herself a wry smile. _As long as I don't end up talking poetry like Kuno._ The "Ice Queen" allowed herself a small chuckle, then resumed her task of locating the wayward martial artist. There just **had **to be an easier way then to ask everyone she saw if they had seen a pig-tailed martial artist in a red Chinese shirt and black pants. This was going to be a long day.

_V----------------------------------------V_

That evening found Ranma leaning back on the couch as he flipped through the TV channels. Ryoko had told him he had a late shift at the local hospital, and Ranma was bored. He had started thinking, first about that counselor of his, and why she seemed familiar. The answer had come rather quickly, she bore a striking resemblance to Ryoko. Their last names were the same, too, and Ranma deducted that they had to be siblings – he'd have to ask either of them sometime. The other thing he was thinking about, but couldn't figure out, was Ryoko's _Munashii Raishuu_-technique that had allowed him to block the 300-something punches Ranma had thrown. Finally, he gave up on that train of thought, seeing that he had no data to analyse.

So, here he was, watching TV. Or trying to. Mentally complaining about the quality of the Juuban TV program, the pig-tailed martial artist kept going through the channels. Soap opera. Court show. TV ads. Another soap. News about the ozone layer. More soap operas. News about the stock markets. A terribly bad action movie – Ranma shuddered when he saw how the directors and choreographers had slaughtered the martial arts scenes. News about a fight in Juuban.

_Wait a second. What was that about a fight here?_ Ranma quickly changed channels and was glued to the screen, as a news channel showed excerpts from a battle. As if to underline the fact that it was live footage, Ranma's ears picked up the sound of an explosion a little in the distance. From the direction, he assumed it was somewhere in the park. The TV showed his suspicion was correct. The reporter said something about a youma and the "Sailor Senshi," although Ranma was left puzzled about the terms until the camera swung around to show the battle. The boy's jaw dropped to the floor as he took in the scene the camera showed him. There were a bunch of girls in school girl fukus, with **very** short skirts throwing energy blasts at something. When Ranma closed his jaw, he saw something he felt quite familiar with. A big, ugly…something that was the target of the girls – who he presumed to be the "Sailor Senshi" the reporter had talked about. _Magical girls in shorter-than-decent skirts, indeed, _Ranma thought. _Man, this is Happosai's wildest dream come true._

The youma more closely resembled an overflowing trashcan than anything else, and Ranma smirked. "Finally. Looks like I'll be getting some fun here…" Now, he didn't know what to make of those "Senshi," and made a mental note to ask Ryoko about them, but he knew very well how to deal with monsters and demons. Ranma cracked his knuckles. Suddenly his stay in Juuban had become a whole lot more interesting.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ryoko arched an eyebrow at the question. He swallowed and glanced across the breakfast table at the young martial artist sitting across from him. "The Sailor Senshi?" Ranma nodded. "Yeah. They were on TV yesterday. Something about a monster attack." Ryoko's eyebrow rose even further. _Shoot. And I was stuck in the hospital. But we didn't get any emergency patients, so I don't think it harmed anyone._ "Hm…I think about three years ago the first youma and oni started showing up around here.They were pretty much your typical monsters. Big, ugly, dumb as hell. Unfortunately, nearly bulletproof as well, so the police couldn't really do anything about that. That was when the first Senshi showed up. Sailor V – or Sailor Venus – started out in England, then moved over here. They slowly started gathering a group, each Senshi being associated with and drawing her power from a planet in the solar system."

Ranma groaned. "Let me guess. They are magical girls that rain some divinely magical justice on these youma's heads ever since then. And so far there've been several attempts to invade Tokyo, take over the world, or destroy the world, right?" Ryoko smiled slightly. "That's a little exaggerated, but essentially correct. They've been fighting these youma ever since, since their magical attacks have proven quite effective." Ranma groaned once more. _Great. More magic. Is it ever going to leave me alone?_ "Something wrong, Ranma?" Ryoko asked. "Nothing, nothing. Just had bad experience with magic. And lots of it."

"Well, the worst thing is, sometimes the youma are human. Some people who are easily corrupted can be turned by youma and transformed into…others." Ryoko's voice hardened. "They know no fear, no regret, no remorse. They aren't human anymore, and they kill with reckless abandon. If you ever meet one, I personally say kill it." Ranma shied back reflexively from the pure hatred that burned in his host's eyes. "The Senshi, however, have consistently managed to save those individuals."

"So, how tough are these youma?" Ranma said, changing the topic. "Depends. There have been extremely weak ones all the way to exceptionally strong and powerful ones. Some have given the Senshi serious trouble before, and I'm pretty sure there's more of them out there." Ranma nodded and stood up, placing his bowl and chopsticks in the sink. "I'm going to school, then." He turned around and started walking out of the door, when Ryoko called out.

"Ranma."

The pig-tailed martial artist turned around. "Be careful. Some youma might not look like much, but the Senshi are incredibly powerful. You don't have any enemies here, and as long as you stay in my house, none of your old rivals will cause you trouble. But…try to keep out of Senshi business. It has a tendency to get…ugly."

Ranma nodded at Ryoko's odd words, then left for school.

_V----------------------------------------V_

To say Saotome Ranma was bored was an understatement. Ryoko had another shift in the hospital, so the girls he had met earlier had invited him to their study group. They had introduced themselves – some more coherently than others – and marched their way across the school yard to sit in the shade. So, he was left with the group of girls that had come to visit him on his first day. _Come to think of it, they've been hanging around me every day…I wonder what's up with them?_ Not giving it a second thought, the pig-tailed martial artist turned back to listening to the story Makoto was trying to tell. Out of the corner of his eye, Ranma observed the other's reaction. Usagi was already deep alseep, leaning against Minako. Minako seemed to be staring at him, Makoto was staring into nowhere, and Ami was working on her homework assignment, throwing in an occasional comment if Makoto's story wasn't accurate enough for her taste.

A shadow fell across Ranma, and he looked up to see Setsuna standing over him. The school counselor had a slightly amused look on her face – probably due to the fact that Ranma's eyelids were drooping. Makoto didn't exactly made a good storyteller. "Satori-san, can I speak to you for a moment?" Ranma got up, grateful for the momentary respite from Makoto's droning voice. "Of course, Meiou-sensei."

As the tall, green-haired woman led him away, Ranma started to talk. "Uh…would you mind if I ask you a question?" He smiled internally as he noticed his manners had become somewhat more polished over the last couple of days. "Of course, Satori-san." Ranma tried to pry into his memories and recall what he was going to ask her. "Oh, right. I sorta noticed you and Ryoko had the same last name…"

Setsuna chuckled. "That's because he's my brother. We live in different houses, that's all. So, Ranma, tell me, how'd you end up in Juuban?" She heard a crash behind her and turned, giggling at what she saw. Ranma's jaw hit the ground – literally. "How do you know my real name?" Setsuna got her laughter under control with a chuckle, then held a piece of paper towards the martial artist. "One, it's kind of obvious, if it's on the transcripts you gave me. Second, my brother has been telling me about his visitor, since I had to tell him about your alias. I assume you do not wish to be found by your old suitors back in Nerima?" Ranma smacked himself on the forehead. _Of all the hare-brained ideas…How could I forget my transcripts have my real name on them! Kami-sama…I'm screwed. Nabiki's gonna find me, and then…all hell's gonna break loose. Again._ "Don't worry, Ranma. I altered the school records accordingly. You don't have to worry about being found here, I assure you."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Ranma flopped onto the bench that was conveniently right behind him and nodded. "Thank you, Sensei." The woman smiled. "Thank my brother. He was the one who told me to do it." Then, Setsuna sat down next to him. "So tell me, why'd you register under a false name?" She had to admit, Ranma had roused her curiosity. The fact that he was an excellent martial artist – as she had found out after doing some research and asking Haruka and Makoto – and that he seemed to be involved in almost any illogical, stupid, blatantly over-exaggerated tale in Nerima district seemed a little much for a boy this young. The boy sighed once more and told her…leaving out convenient parts, of course.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Later that night, Ranma quietly slipped out of his bedroom window. His clock had told him it was one at night, and the deep, regular breathing from Ryoko's bedroom had told him his host was asleep. He headed away from the house and in the general direction of the park, not really expecting to find a youma. He was surprised, however, when an inhuman shriek rose relatively close to him. In fact, it was so close not even Ryoga could have gotten lost. Ranma started running in the direction of the noise.

When he arrived, he nearly laughed out loud. He had to admit, even by his standards, Juuban had some **weird** stuff. Like the monster in front of him. It looked vaguely humanoid, and was dressed as a clown. And as such, its costume was of the most horrible color Ranma could imagine – light and dark green checkered, with purple diagonal lines and pink polka dots (©). The pig-tailed martial artist was caught somewhere between laughing his lungs out and throwing up. The thing was just laughing maniacally as it chased civilians across the street. "Oooh-**Ho**-hohohohohohohohoho," it laughed. A shudder went down Ranma's back. _Man, that thing has the same creepy laugh as Kodachi. I wonder if they're related? It sure has her sense of aestethics, too._ Ranma picked up a stone and threw it.

The youma stopped dead in its tracks as the stone skipped of his head. It turned around and glanced around to find the annoyance. Ranma grinned. "Oy! What are you, a walking fashion disaster?" The youma whined and opened its mouth. "Don't you like my costume? You must laugh, laugh, laugh!" It pulled a squirting flower out of nowhere and started spraying water everywhere. _Has her nutball act down, too._ Ranma leaped out of the way as a water drop the size of a small car landed where he had been a moment ago. The martial artist twisted in the air and planted his feet square against the chest of his seven foot tall opponent. The clown-youma fell back, and Ranma moved into an offensive stance.

The clown stood back up and whined some more, most of which sounded like just plain noise to Ranma, then picked up his flower again. As a big blast of water raced towards the boy, he cried, "_Môkô Takabisha_!" The ki blast impacted with the water, hissing as it boiled through. The life force plowed through the deluge, vaporizing it, and hit the youma. When the vapor cleared, the youma was gone, dissolved to a pile of dust. Ranma circled the pile of ash, shaking his head. "And they're having trouble with **this**? Sheesh…" He decided he'd had enough for one night and headed back to Ryoko's house.

_V----------------------------------------V_

The local temple wasn't too hard to find, as Ryoko wandered through the streets of Nekomi district the next evening. He was wondering why Ranma seemed oddly cheerful this morning, but dismissed it quickly as he recalled the phone call he had gotten, and the urgency in Urd's voice. He fought the growing unease in his guts as he continued to walk. He knew the three goddesses wouldn't joke over something like this, and he knew that if it worried **Urd**, it had to be pretty bad. And anything that could worry a goddess was…well, not good. Easily the largest structure for several miles around, his destination was plainly visible. Besides, it was on the only hill in the area, making it impossible for even Mousse to miss.

A few minutes of walking later, he stood in the yard of the aforementioned temple. What greeted him was an odd beeping noise and the sound of a rocket being fired. Twisting aside just in time to avoid one of Banpei-kun's rocket punches, Ryoko leapt up and over the little robot, and hit its off switch. "Sheesh, Skuld's really gotta do something to hide this switch," he mumbled to himself. A few seconds later, he was still standing in the yard – blackened with soot, bearing a large bump from a mallet, and almost struck with a frying pan.

Belldandy held back in the last second when she recognized the visitor. "Oh, my!" She quickly put the frying pan away and started dusting off Ryoko before casting a minor healing spell. "Ouch," was all he could say for the moment, before receiving a glomp that could rival a certain lavender-haired amazon's. "Urgk! U…U…rd…a…a…i…r…need…breathe…" he choked out. The tall, tan-skinned woman let go of him and brushed her long silver hair back behind her ear. "Hiiiii, Ryo-chan!" Ryoko could only shake his head, and glanced at Belldandy. The brown-haired goddess nodded in sympathy. Sometimes being Urd's friend was worse than being her enemy – especially if you counted her "glomp of doom." After catching his breath, Ryoko grinned at Urd. "You gotta work on yer aim, sugar. You definitely hit me with about five hundred volts more last time." He grinned at the goddesses.

Urd, Norn of the past and self declared goddess of love, didn't know whether to feel insulted by this comment or take it as advice. Thus, she reacted in her typical Urd-like fashion, and cocked one of her hips, letting her robes slightly uncover her leg. "Why don't we spend our time doing something more…productive?" She purred. Behind her, Keiichi was about to pass out from a severe nosebleed, and Ryoko arched an eyebrow at Belldandy. "How long exactly hasn't she had a boyfriend?"

Belldandy smiled at the young man, before answering. "Two hundred, seventy-three years, nine months, eighteen days. Why don't you come in, Ryoko-kun? We have something to talk about." Ryoko nodded at the invitation, greeted Keiichi and Skuld, and followed Belldandy inside.

_V----------------------------------------V_

In another house, back in Juuban, a portal through time and space opened and Meiou Setsuna, a.k.a. Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time, stepped through. Rather, she staggered, her face still a little green and purple from the disgust and rage she had gone through when she had viewed Ranma's life using the Time Gate. "Setsuna-mama? Are you all right?" Hotaru asked as she watched the green-haired senshi stumble to the bathroom and heard the lock click shut.

An hour later, a somewhat more collected Setsuna presented herself before the rest of the outer senshi. "Ok, Setsuna, spill it. What's wrong with you?" Haruka demanded, which earned her a raised eyebrow and not much more. "Whatever do you mean, Haruka?" "Oh come on! You don't just trip out of the Time Gates and straight into the bathroom for an hour! What is it this time? Some grave danger to Earth again? Wiseman's back? The Death Phantom again?"

Setsuna glared at the blonde woman. "Nothing of the sort. And what I do at the Time Gate is solely my own business." Without further comment, she walked off, knowing she would be having nightmares for a **long** time. She grinned evilly as she found a way to distract herself from the coming nightmares, maybe even turn them pleasant. She thought up 1001 ways to torture one Saotome Genma while keeping him alive.

She was brought out of her idle scheming by the beeping of her communicator. She flipped it open. Ami's face lit up on the screen. "Setsuna! Hurry and bring the rest of the Outers to the park! We're under attack, and I'm reading portals opening all over the place! So far there's at least nine youma already…" the call trailed off as the camera seemed to swing around wildly. Crashes and explosions could be heard in the background, then the connection cut off. Setsuna did something she hadn't done in a long time. She swore, long and loud, before transforming and contacting Michiru, Haruka, and Hotaru.

_V----------------------------------------V_

"They are **WHAT**!" Ryoko shouted. Usually when he talked to the three sisters, he would never have dared to even raise his voice in Belldandy's vicinity – he respected the goddess too much for that. However, after hearing what he just had been told, he did believe it warranted a shout or two. He mentally went through a list of profanities that he thought were appropriate for this situation. Of course, all three goddesses were reading his mind – Urd and Skuld out of curiosity, and Belldandy because they kept an almost constant link open. Urd snickered at his thoughts, Belldandy blushed until she looked worse than a ripe tomato, an Skuld looked confused at all those words.

"Mara informed me that some moron set loose a horde of oni, and they're looking for the Nexus of Chaos in this dimension," Urd repeated. Ryoko glanced around, saw the reaction of the three women, and reigned in the stream of vulgarity that was coursing through his mind at the thought of an army of oni running loose in the streets of Japan. It didn't help that he believed a certain center of chaos was living in his house. "Yggdrasil says his name is Saotome Ranma. Whoever this Ranma guy is, we have to find and protect him. If the oni find the Nexus, Kami-sama knows what could happen."

Ryoko cleared his throat. "Well, we can scrap the finding part…" Belldandy shot him a puzzled look. "Why is that?" "Well, he's kinda living at my…house…oh, **SHIT**!" Ryoko bolted up as a cold shiver ran through him. He knew his sister was in trouble. This time, he verbally unleashed the barrage of profanities he had only been thinking about as he shot out of the temple and raced towards Juuban district.

Urd and Belldandy exchanged a worried glance and followed him on two of Urd's brooms.

_V----------------------------------------V_

The energy blast hit Sailor Mars, knocking her back a good twenty feet. At the same time, a clawed swipe sent Jupiter flying through the air like a rag-doll, her fuku partially shredded. Venus brandished her love-me chain and swung it at the oni, twisting the chain around one of its arms. The oni pulled, and sent Venus flying against a tree trunk. Ten meters over, Sailors Moon and Mercury were frantically dodging another oni's attacks. Across the park, the outer Senshi were busy trying not to loose ground against the four oni they faced.

Uranus parried a clawed strike with her space sword, then fired off a _World Shaking_. The unfortunate oni was blasted back ten feet, but to everyone's surprise, it got back up and rejoined the fight. Saturn was chopping at another oni with her glaive when an energy blast hit Sailor Neptune, who was fighting alongside her. The aquamarine-haired young woman slammed into Saturn, incidentally saving her from a claw that would have taken her head off. The oni moved in for the kill on the two hapless girls.

"_Dead Scream_," a quiet voice rang out across the battlefield, and a projectile of condensed temporal flux lighted up the dark shadows of the setting sun, striking the crab-like thing before it could impale its victims. The impact sent the oni flying backwards as Pluto leapt into the fray, twirling her staff to block the clawed attacks.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ryoko kicked off from the roof and slipped in the darkness, the tile giving way under his foot. He cursed himself for not being careful as he started to fall. The martial artist twisted in mid-air, trying to manage a decent landing, when an arm grabbed hold of him and deposited him back on the roof. "Do be careful, Ryoko-kun," Belldandy told him from her perch on her broom. Ryoko nodded his thanks and started running again, trailing two confused goddesses behind.

"Any idea why he is in such a hurry, sister?" Urd asked with a sideways glance at Belldandy. "No, although I can feel he is quite distressed. And I can feel some demonic energy close by." Urd nodded. "I can feel it, too. Let's hope we're not headed for trouble."

_V----------------------------------------V _

Pluto took stock of the situation. Jupiter down, Mars out cold, Venus tangled with her own love-me chain, Neptune down as well. Those that were left to fight were tiring, too. This was not going well. She ducked, brought the tip of her time key around to parry a strike, and slammed the other end of the staff upwards into the crab-like oni. Unfortunately, they only had managed to neutralize five of the ten oni they had been fighting. _Uh-oh._ She realized the mistake she had made as the oni gripped hold of her staff and ripped it out of her hands.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ryoko could hear the sounds of battle, but most of all, he could feel the slightly demonic auras the oni were giving off. This was not good. According to his battle sense, there were nine people and five oni. Out of the nine people – who he assumed had to be the Senshi – four were down. He picked up his pace even more as the shapes started to take form before him.

_V----------------------------------------V_

The oni's backhand strike hit her square across the chest, and for once, Pluto wished she had continued the martial arts training she and her brother had undergone. Unfortunately, she hadn't, and the blow planted her against a wall._ You'd think that having more than thirty thousand years at your disposal I would have found some time for martial arts training…_ She managed to crank her head to one side as her staff came flying, embedding itself with a crunch into the wall right next to her left ear. The oni was charging up an energy blast. Trying to stagger back to her feet, Pluto realized she had at least a couple broken ribs and a punctured lung. More importantly, she realized that she couldn't dodge the next attack in time. _Ironic…the guardian of time doesn't have enough time,_ she thought. The oni fired, the blast of yellow magical energy hurtling towards her.

"_Hiryuu Kyo-Ken_!" A purple shockwave of ki intercepted the blast, and the crunch of pebbles in front of her made Pluto open her eyes again.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ryoko took an offensive stance against the oni, only shooting a glance back at his sister. He was fuming. "All right ugly, no one, and I mean **NO ONE** hits my sister and gets away with that." The oni, with its limited mental capabilities, charged the apparently suicidal mortal.

_V----------------------------------------V_

From above, Belldandy and Urd were watching the scene unfold. "Oh my, shouldn't we help?" Belldandy asked. Urd nodded, directing her broom towards where the inner Senshi were fighting. "Come on, Bell." The younger goddess looked at her sister. "Are you sure Ryoko-kun will be fine?" Urd laughed. "If I were you, I'd worry about the oni."

_V----------------------------------------V_

Dodging a claw swipe, Ryoko landed a snap-kick against the oni's clawed appendage, ripping it clean off at the unarmored joint. Leaping above its other arm, he came down behind it, and unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks that sent the oni flying against the wall next to Sailor Pluto but didn't do much to hurt it. A flying kick sent the oni clean through the wall, as Ryoko continued to pummel it. As the thing started charging another energy blast, he twisted to avoid the glowing ball of energy that was forming in front of its chest, slipped in close, and brought his palms up.

"_Munashii Raishuu_." As exactly 102 blows unloaded themselves against the unprotected oni's chest, Ryoko kept pouring more power into the attack than was necessary. Thus, instead of just flying back as usual, the oni's armor plating shattered into pieces from the onlaught, followed by the oni itself. Turning away from the pile of dust the oni had collapsed into, Ryoko leapt back over the wall and into battle. A couple of well-placed kicks made the remaining two oni notice Ryoko, relieving Uranus and Neptune. As he moved deeper into the park to move the battle away from the downed Senshi, he noticed he got closer to the other part of the battle, as well. "Just as well," he muttered and fired off a _Hiryuu Kyo-Ken_ at the other two oni to gain their attention, as well.

_V----------------------------------------V_

When a blast of ki hit the oni in front of her, Urd took the opportunity and hit it point-blank with one of her lightning bolts, blasting a large chunk out of its chest. The oni collapsed into a pile of dust. As the goddess turned to help her sister, she noticed it was no longer necessary. The oni, enraged by the ki blast that had hit it, had turned away from where Belldandy was shielding Mercury and Moon, and taken off in Ryoko's direction. Hoping the martial artist knew what he was doing, she called over Belldandy to help tend to the wounded.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Surrounded by three oni, Ryoko grinned. This was going to be fun. He flicked his wrists, and two fighting fans slid into his hands from hidden pockets in his sleeves. As the oni closed in on him and started raining blows, he flowed to the left, blocked an overhead swing with his right fan, pivoted around and opened his other fan, slicing through a claw that was aimed at his abdomen. He blocked high, turned around and stabbed one of his fans through an oni's shoulder, then whirled around and, holding his fans horizontally, opened them, effectively cutting two of the three oni in half. The last one backed off slightly before growling and charging up an energy bolt.

Ryoko slashed at it with his twin fans, the ki-enhanced windblades crossing the distance between him and his opponent in a split second. The oni fell into four pieces before becoming a pile of dust. Satisfied with his work, he returned the fans to his sleeves and jogged over to where he had entered the battle. Pluto was trying to get back to her feet and was leaning against the wall he had kicked the oni through, supporting her weight on the staff that was still impaled in the wall.

He gently took her arm and gave her a quick once-over, discovering two broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder – probably from the impact with the wall – a bruised ankle, and, what he was most concerned about, a slightly punctured lung. While it wasn't excessive and would probably heal soon, she was coughing up small amounts of blood every now and then. He concentrated and pushed some of his ki into her to strenghten her body. "You all right, Setsuna?" Relief washed across him when she nodded. "The others are going to be fine, I've got friends taking care of them now. Come on, let's get you ho-" he never finished the sentence as a rather large ball of yellow energy slammed into him, flattening Ryoko into the ground. "_World Shaking_!" Setsuna heard again, and saw another blast head towards her brother's fallen form. "Uranus! Stop it!" She wanted to shout. All that came out, however, was a timid whisper as she fell into a coughing fit.

A little bit away, Uranus was about to fire off a third projectile to finish off her target, when Ryoko jumped up from the ground to avoid the second _World Shaking_, and flipped before he landed. He sent the Senshi of Uranus a glare that was cold enough to freeze carbon dioxide, and fell into a defensive stance. "Listen, I don't know what you're trying to accomplish by hitting me, but if you hadn't noticed, I just saved your sorry hide!" He nearly yelled. Setsuna, meanwhile, was trying to push herself off the wall and walk over to her brother when she stumbled on her tired legs and fell forward. Seemingly breaking the sound barrier, Ryoko crossed the ten meters between them in a split second and caught his sister before she fell. Collecting her into his arms, he leapt up to land right in front of a stunned Sailor Uranus. "Ryoko?"

"So, are you going to stop attacking me, or what?" The martial artist demanded, then blinked as he scanned her ki aura. _Oh-ho. Didn't take a genius to figure out who she really is…_ "If you'll excuse me, I'm getting my sister home." With that, he left a bewildered Sailor Uranus behind.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Urd and Belldandy met Ryoko outside Setsuna's apartment. It was apparent to both goddesses that the mortal was not pleased. "Thanks for the help, Urd, Bell. That coulda gotten nasty," he said quietly while leaning against the door. "It seems like they are already searching the right district. That is disconcerting," Urd was uncharacteristically serious. Ryoko nodded. "Crap, no offense, but these Senshi suck. If they're the first line of defense, then goodbye Earth." He ran a hand through his hair. "If any more oni show up, they're going to stumble across Ranma eventually. I'm pretty sure he can handle several of them, but I'm not sure he'd last very long against a crapload of 'em."

Urd nodded. "I got an official count of the number of oni released. And you're not going to like it," she told them. "How many, Urd?" Belldandy asked. "Three hundred and twenty-six. Minus the ten we fought off tonight, make that three hundred and sixteen." Shaking his head, Ryoko sighed. "Too many to take care of at once. Any idea of who's responsible?" Both goddesses shook their heads. "Well, looks like I'll have to tell Ranma his vacation is over. And he was so looking forward to see Ka…" For the second time in one day, Ryoko let loose a string of profanities that made everyone who listened in both Niflheim and Asgard blush. Afterwards, Hild would be seen typing everything she had heard that evening down to file the words away for future use.

"Oh, **crap**. Kasumi…We can't let any oni near her!" Urd arched an eyebrow. "Who is this Kasumi?" Ryoko looked up. "Tendo Kasumi. She's Ranma's…well, almost-girlfriend. He was starting to develop some feelings for her, and from what I gather, he sent her a note today. He asked me if I minded if she visited. From what he told me, she's a lot like you, Bell," he noted with a small smile. Urd's face clouded. "That's not good. That's so not good…"


	4. Chapter Four: Kasumi's Visit: Abduction!

Chapter Four: Kasumi's Visit – the Abduction

Kasumi woke up to the first rays of the sun as always. The young woman stretched in her bed, letting her mind pierce through the early morning haze. Getting up from the bed, she slowly made her way over to her desk and, reaching over it, opened the curtains fully. That was when she noticed a small slip of paper attached to the window. Opening the window, she grasped hold of the paper fluttering in the wind before closing the it again. Feeling oddly nervous, Kasumi unfolded the piece of paper in her hand and read through the mangled handwriting. A small, honest smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she skimmed Ranma's note. It was short, and read,

"Kasumi,

I'm fine right now, staying with a friend in Juuban, would you like to come visit? I'll be waiting at the Juuban trainstation for you today at 1800. My friend says it's ok if you stay a couple days.

Ranma"

Her hand went to her mouth as she struggled to keep her joy in, and Kasumi was already planning out the chores she would have to finish for the day before leaving. _Oh my, six o'clock, that means I'll have to take the five o'clock train…Let's see, I can finish dinner quickly and leave it in the stove, and breakfast, too, and there isn't much laundry to do…and I need to pack and leave a note for Father and the others. _With an unusual bounce in her step, Kasumi set off to do the housework for the day, humming a happy tune.

_V----------------------------------------V_

"Father?" Kasumi called out from the kitchen. "Yes, Kasumi-chan?" The elder Tendo looked up from his afternoon game of Shogi with Genma. "Father, I'm going to visit a friend for a couple of days. Would you mind helping take care of the house?" Kasumi gently shook her father to get his attention before he could turn on the Tendo waterworks. "It's just for a couple of days, father, maybe I'll be back tomorrow even." Nabiki and Akane picked that moment to come down the stairs. "Oh, visiting a friend, huh, Kasumi?" Nabiki smirked with a raised eyebrow. She had a feeling she knew who her sister was referring to.

Akane, on the other hand, looked rather depressed. "At least you still have friends," she mumbled, then lit up suddenly. "Oh yes! Don't worry, Kasumi-oneechan! I'll cook and take care of the house!" Soun and Genma turned away quickly, and Nabiki paled minimally. "T-that won't be necessary, Akane-chan. I'm sure we can afford a day or two's takeout. No need for you to worry about the household," she quickly threw in to move her sister off that train of thought. _It's gonna be tight,but we can make it,_ Nabiki thought. _With Ranma gone our expenses have decreased significantly. No more holes in the roof to fix. Then again, our usage of bricks tripled…_

Kasumi shot a concerned glance at her youngest sister. Five days ago, after Ranma had left, Akane had come back from a walk mumbling something about Ukyo and Shampoo, and locked herself in her room for the rest of the day. Kasumi was worried about her sister, that she might fall back into the depression that had nearly claimed them when their mother had died. However, any attempts to ask Akane about what had occurred that day had been warded off with a tired, "Nothing…", and a wave of her hand.

Akane, on the other hand, started to glow a bright red as her battle-aura manifested, and nearly yelled, "Are you saying I can't cook!" As quickly as the outburst had come, it faded again, and the girl was left trembling in the center of the dining room, with everyone else taking cover or hiding behind sturdy furniture. "G-gomen…I…" Akane turned and ran out the door, her tears hanging in the air for a moment before dropping to the ground.

"Is it me, or is she getting more and more easily irritated?" Nabiki asked. Kasumi sighed and nodded. "You may be right, Nabiki-chan."

_V----------------------------------------V_

Cologne went through her spice cabinet as she cooked up the ramen order, looking for her reserve stash of herbs for the soup. She froze as her eyes fell upon a beaker that was out of place. She paled as she read the label. _No…It can't be possible…_"Shampoo!" the elder amazon hollered, to the shock of both of the other amazons present, and the rest of the guests. Cologne **never** yelled. "Aiya! What great-grandmother want?" The purple-haired amazon girl looked over the counter into the kitchen.

"Shampoo…have you used any spices lately?" Cologne asked in Chinese. "No, great-grandmother. Why do you ask?" Shampoo replied. The elder pointed to the cabinet. "The redwood seed is missing." Shampoo paled, her facial color nearly matching that of Cologne's. "I…only used the spices for the ramen I brought husband last week. I put some special herbs in to make his more tasty." If possible, Shampoo's expression whitened even more. "I…I might accidentally have used the redwood, great-grandmother."

"There's nothing we can do about it now. But this is bad, very bad. I better go talk to the Tendos. It might not be too late to use the anti-dote yet." "But husband didn't show any symptoms," Shampoo argued. "He might not have been the one to eat that ramen, great-granddaughter…" Cologne hopped on her staff and hopped off, a worried look on her face.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ryoko hadn't seen Ranma all day. His early shift in the hospital had prevented him from visiting Juuban High, and in the afternoon, Ranma was nowhere to be found, probably off to pick up Kasumi. Sighing, Ryoko stopped his feet and looked up to check his surroundings. "Hello, can I help you?" A voice chirped from one of the doors. Turning his head, Ryoko saw a small, raven-haired girl standing in the open apartment door – the apartment, he noted, that his sister shared with her three roommates. Searching his memory, he recalled her name to be Tomoe Hotaru. "Ah, what the heck. What can happen, anyway?" Ryoko muttered. _It's not like the oni are going to bust the train station or anything…_

Returning his attention to the girl, he nodded and gave her a smile. "Yes, I would like to visit my sister Setsuna." The girl glanced at him, and for a moment he thought he discovered a flash of suspicion in her eyes, before recognition settled in. "Oh, Ryoko-sempai, Setsuna-mama is sick," she told him simply, favoring him with a smile. At the mention of the word "Setsuna-mama" one of Ryoko's eyebrows shot up. His sister had some explaining to do. Despite the fact that he saw her often and he sometimes walked her home, he'd never actually had much to do with her apartment-mates. "Come on, I'm sure it'll make her feel better," she said.

The girl's expression changed to a smile, and she pulled the door wide open. "Please come in!" She raced off as soon as he set a foot over the threshold. What he saw when he stepped inside made him frown. Coming towards him, down the stairs, was his sister, still wearing bandages around her torso and a sling around her arm. "Hey there," he offered. The woman grinned in return. "Hey there, yourself." Then she yelped and grimaced as she bumped her ribs against the railing. Shaking his head, Ryoko moved over, picked her up, and walked back up the stairs, Setsuna flailing wildly in his arms. Marching up the stairs, he shot a smile and a wink at the girl from the door, and continued down the hallway till he hit Setsuna's bedroom. Pushing open the door with a foot, he laid her down on her bed, despite Setsuna's constant protests.

"I'm injured, not invalid!" she shouted, eliciting a chuckle from her brother. "Yeah. And as you doctor, I say you stay in bed. Period. No running, no carrying heavy stuff, no doing martial arts, no saving the world for the next three days." He grinned at her. "Man, sis, you looked **hot** in that fuku." At Setsuna's chuckle, Ryoko sat down next to her on the bed. "You're loving this doctor thing, aren't you?" "Yep." Setsuna groaned. "I hate you…" Feigning hurt, her brother scooted away a little. "Oww, that stung! So tell me, who's that little girl who answered the door? That's not Hotaru-chan, is it? And who's the father?" His grimace had turned into a sly grin. Setsuna shook her head, chuckling. "Yep, that's lil' Hotaru-chan, she's the daughter of my two friends here, Haruka and Michiru."

"Err…adoptive daughter, I presume?" At her brother's comment, the green-haired woman burst out laughing. "Boy, for a student of medicine, you have some **weird** ideas of biology…" Her laughter proved infectious, as Ryoko soon was laughing alongside her. After reigning in their mirth, Setsuna glanced at the door. "Yes, she's their adoptive daughter. And no, I don't have a boyfriend. Never mind a child of my own." "Well, I do assume having to rescue the world every night takes up quite a lot of your time," he noted with a small smile. "Don't tell any of the other Senshi, but they could do with a little of martial arts training." Looking down at herself, his sister grimaced. "And so could I, I guess." A sly grin, the exact mirror image of her brother's earlier expression, appeared on her face. "Pray tell, who were those two young ladies with you last night?"

"You noticed them? Wow, I thought you were almost out cold," Ryoko shook his head vehemently. "And they're not girlfriends or something. Just…friends." Setsuna arched an eyebrow. "And I'm supposed to believe that, bro?" Ryoko sighed and decided to change the topic. Suddenly, there was the sound of an electric discharge and a scream coming from downstairs. In a flash, Ryoko was at the stairwell, peeking downstairs. "You stay up here," he told his sister before leaping down the flight of stairs to the living area.

The martial artist landed in a combat stance, ready to face burglars, intruders, robbers, demons, oni, whatever fate had decided to throw at him. After taking in the scene before him, however, he laughed. After getting his laughter under control, he shot an amused glance at the silver-haired goddess standing before him. "What is it, Urd?" Noticing her serious expression, he canned his mirth and turned sober. The goddess pulled a device from nowhere and held it up to his face. It looked somewhat like a PDA, but instead of text its display showed a map, with various locations highlighted. One particular location, that caught his attention, was the train station. "Uh, this isn't what I think it is, right?" He asked, hoping he was wrong.

"It's a scan of youki around the district. One of Skuld's more useful inventions. Your friend might be in trouble," Urd spoke. Shock made itself known on Ryoko's face. His voice, however, retained the complete calm he usually projected. "Already? It's way too early to... what time is it?" Glancing at a clock on the far wall, he gulped. It read 1745. "Damn, let's get to the train station. Let's hope we're in time."

_V----------------------------------------V_

The brakes on the train screeched as it came to a halt at the platform. Ranma stood waiting as he scanned the debarking crowd for a familiar brown ponytail. Spotting a speck of auburn amidst the mass of people, the pig-tailed youth started weaving his way through the people, until he could see Kasumi. "Hey! Kasumi! Over here!" He shouted, waving his hand in the air. The girl turned around and smiled, quickly walking in his direction. "Good evening, Ranma-kun," she greeted him, catching him in a loose hug. The young martial artist froze for a moment before remembering this wasn't Akane, and returned the hug. Disengaging from her, he gave her his familiar cocky grin. "Did you have a safe trip?"

Kasumi was surprised. The boy had been gone for a week from the Tendo dojo, and already he was back to his old, confident self – almost. She also noticed his speech had become less…slang-like and his manners had significantly improved. The young woman was wondering just who he had been spending his time with as he led her off the platform. "How are things back at the dojo? You been doing all right?" Ranma asked, letting show a bit of his old slang. Kasumi managed a sly smile. "Oh yes, things are well. Father is surprisingly not too upset about you leaving, but Oji-san is still ranting about you. Not that anyone listens, anyway. Nabiki is trying to find out where you are, no doubt, but from her frustration I don't believe she has any clue yet. Akane…she has been thinking a lot about you. I think she realized she made mistakes now." Ranma could see a look of sadness cross her expression briefly. "She has been quite depressed…and become easier to irritate. I'm worried, Ranma-kun."

Ranma nodded. "Me, too. Unfortunately, it's a bit too late to salvage our relationship. What about Mom?" "Oh, your mother was there for a visit and offered to take Ranko's 'pet panda' with her – we made up a…passable excuse for your absence." Ranma noticed a slight blush creeping into Kasumi's face as she mentioned the "passable excuse." "Passable, huh?" The girl nodded sheepishly. "Nabiki…made it sound like you had eloped with two other girls to, how did she put it, 'have your way with them.'" Kasumi looked on in concern as Ranma's face contorted in surprise, then a look she couldn't quite identify, and finally a blank stare that told her absolutely nothing. She was about to ask him what was wrong when the young martial artist burst out laughing.

Ranma laughed so hard that it ended in a coughing fit. Doubling over while trying to regain his breath, the martial artist grinned from ear to ear as he imagined the looks on everyone's faces when Nabiki said that. Suddenly, a tingling sensation went off in the back of his head. Reacting to his danger sense, Ranma turned around to catch a look at what was going on behind them. What he saw made his eyes widen in shock. Shaking off the paralysis, he picked up Kasumi and leapt clear of the falling debris. Setting her back on her feet a few meters away, he glanced back at the scene.

Oni were tearing through the train station, their claws demolishing just about anything they came into contact with, and they were headed straight for him. Meanwhile, Kasumi had spotted the oni, and froze. "Oh my…Ranma-kun…" Ranma glanced back and saw they were backed up against a ticket booth. He whirled around and took a fighting stance. _No way I'm letting those things hurt Kasumi. Just no freakin' way!_ As he evaluated his chances to win against the four monsters in front of him, two more trampled over the rails. Taking a good look at them, the pig-tailed boy evaluated their combat abilities. The oni somewhat resembled a cross between a cicada and a reptile. Insectoid eyes glared at him while the light reflected off the glittering plates of armor that protected the four legs and two clawed arms. They couldn't possibly be very fast, but they had to pack a lot of power. And the razor edges that adorned their claws didn't do much to ease his worries. _If it was just me, no problem. But with Kasumi here…I can't let them get past me!_

Ranma was getting ready to charge the oni when two blasts of energy impacted the ground right in front of him, kicking up dust and obscuring the creatures. Glancing up, the martial artist watched as two figures dropped from the destroyed escalator to their left, leaping right in between him and the oni. As they landed, he recognized Ryoko, while the other person was an exotic-looking beauty with long silver hair. Also, while there was plenty of cloth to cover her, it had been cut and sliced to show off at a lot of provocative places. Ranma fought back a nosebleed.

Ryoko's voice broke through the screaming and yelling around the train station. "Ranma! Go take Kasumi to my place, I've got demon wards up, you should be safe for a while!" Ranma glanced at the other man, who shot him a slight nod in return. "On my way," he said. Something in Ryoko's eyes had told him it would have been very bad if he had tried to argue with his host. Scooping up Kasumi again, he waited until Ryoko and his companion had let loose another round of ki blasts, then leapt away, covered by the smoke and dust rising from the ground. _Besides,_ he thought, _who knows how many more of those things there are._

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ryoko turned a grim look at the goddess beside him. "How many?" Urd's answer confirmed what his senses had already told him. "Twenty here at the station. At least another twenty out on the streets," she told him. The martial artist shrugged and drew his twin fighting fans. "Ready to go?" he asked. _Let's hope the Senshi can take care of them one at a time._ Urd's face lit up in an evil grin. "Let's rock this place."

Parrying a claw with one fan, Ryoko slashed the other at the oni before him, then ducked and rolled out of the way of another claw strike. As he came up, he lashed out with both fans, letting them slide open. The resulting ki-enhanced wind blades cut deeply into the oni, but it didn't drop dead like it should have. Ryoko frowned as he moved back into his ready stance. Hearing a frustrated scowl from beside him, he glanced sideway, to see Urd shooting chain lightning at the oni, the bolts of electricity bouncing off one oni and flashing over to hit the next. "Did they build in lightning rods, or what?" she growled. "My lightning isn't even scratching their armor!"

The goddess looked up as she heard a swishing sound pass her right ear, and saw an open fan sailing past her, lopping off the clawed arm of an oni that had snuck up on her. Returning her attention to deep-frying the oni before her, she grimaced as she realized her lightning wasn't having much of an effect. _Where's the runt with her bombs when ya need her?_ she groused. Changing tactics, Urd rose into the air and started chanting. Behind her, Ryoko noticed her levitating in the air as her hands traced an intricate mandala that seemed to assemble and shift in itself. Lightning and thunder began to crack in the distance.

Dodging a sweep that would have taken his legs off, Ryoko leapt up into the air and yelled, "_Hiryuu Kyo-Ken_!" The ki blast slammed into the oni who'd attacked him and vaporised two of its leg joints, causing it to collapse. With its left legs gone, it fell over and started wiggling in a rather ridiculous manner. Twisting in the air as he started his descent, Ryoko began focusing his ki and directed it into his one remaining fan. "Mugen Tenketsu Shiranui-Ryu Final Attack: _Shinkuu-Ken_!" His left hand blurred as it swiped the air with the open fan at speeds that rivalled the _Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-Ken_, sending hundreds of small ki-powered vaccuum blades at the horde of oni in front of him. The barrage cut through them like a knife through butter, cleaving off legs, claws and antennae, cutting deep into the armor plating that grew on the oni.

Dropping to one knee as he landed, Ryoko caught his breath as he surveyed the area around him and Urd. While his attack had bought them some time, it was clear the oni were still able to fight. _Damn it! That armor is too thick…I'll need to aim for the joints.._ Lightning flashed and rain started to pour down on the remains of the wrecked train station. A second flash of lightning lit up the area, then a third. Glancing up, the martial artist noted that Urd had completed her mandala and was hovering in the air, eyes closed in concentration. The lightning struck the mandala and was drawn towards its center, focusing there as the symbol in the sky started humming with power waiting to be unleashed.

"_Ultimate…_"

Ryoko landed a sidekick on one of the oni, driving it away, and flipped over its head.

"_Destruction._"

Two punches and a high snap-kick sent another oni flying off as Ryoko leapt clear. Then lightning came crashing down on the spot where he'd been standing a moment ago. Intense heat swept over the remains of the station, followed by a shockwave that rattled windows up to five blocks away. The lightning bolt incinerated the broken remains of the ticket booth, the oni next to it, and the concrete below, tearing down through water pipelines and electrical lines.

When the dust had settled and the flash of light had dissipated, Urd lowered herself to the ground. Glancing around, she surveyed the damage her spell had done, and sighed as she took note that the train station was completely demolished. "Well, at least the contractors will be happy to have a new job," she chuckled. A voice from behind her chimed in. "Damn. Nice to see you haven't lost your touch, Urd," Ryoko grinned as he dusted off his shirt – what was left of it, anyway. "Looks like I didn't get clear in time," he groaned as he tried to assess the burns on his back. "Ouch. Well, we got rid of them here, at least." Urd hmph'd and stalked over to the martial artist, who was chuckling. "Why, you…"

Ryoko broke out laughing as he produced two fans from his torn sleeves and returned them to his pockets. Urd just shook her head. "Come on, we don't want to keep Ranma waiting, do we?"

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ryoko pushed open the door to his home and stepped through. He allowed himself a small smile at the smell of food that was wafting over from the direction of the kitchen and motioned Urd to come inside. "Ryoko, that you?" Ranma's voice came from the same direction. "Yeah. Did you two have any trouble getting here?" Ryoko moved into the kitchen, stopping dead in his tracks as he saw Kasumi moving around cooking with a grace most martial artists would kill for. Ranma was just standing there, observing her, then the pig-tailed youth turned to face Ryoko. "Yah, no problems. But…what the hell were those things?"

Sighing, Ryoko motioned them to move to the dining room. "Meiou-san, I'm almost done with dinner, could this wait?" He looked up at being addressed by Kasumi, and the innocent look in her eyes nearly melted him. "Of course, Tendo-san," he told her and brought out the dishes. While helping her to move out dinner, Ryoko took his first good look at the eldest Tendo daughter. He hadn't forgotten what Ranma had told him about her the night he had met him, but he had thought the boy was exaggerating. Now, as he looked at the beautiful young woman, he noted the subtle grace in her movements, and the sheer joy cooking seemed to bring her. He could tell by her warm brown eyes she was every bit as gentle and caring as Ranma had told him. Ryoko smiled. If this was the girl who had Ranma's interest, then he was one lucky guy indeed. Urd nudged him with her elbow, whispering, "Is it me, or is it Bell?" Ryoko chuckled. The resemblance between the eldest Tendo daughter and Belldandy was indeed uncanny, from her mannerisms to her movements, even the voice was the same.

As the four sat down for dinner, Ryoko grinned as he handed out the food. The moment Ranma had gotten hold of his bowl, his chopsticks had taken off like a rocket, shovelling the food into his mouth at speeds that rivalled the Amaguri-Ken. Across from him, he could see Urd snicker and Kasumi covering her mouth to cover up a smile. As Ryoko took the first bites of his own food, Ranma had already finished the first bowl. Finishing chewing, Ryoko shook his head while trying to suppress a chuckle and handed out more food the the boy. "You should slow down, you know. If it's fantastic cooking like Tendo-san's here, you might want to take the time and enjoy it," he finally managed while shaking with silent laughter.

Ranma looked only mildly abashed, but slowed down. Marginally. "Meiou-san, please call me Kasumi," the woman said as she directed her attention to Ryoko. "Thank you for letting Ranma stay, and thank you for saving us this afternoon, as well," she continued. "No big deal. Call me Ryoko. If you call me Meiou-san I feel like you're talking to my sister," he chuckled before continuing. "Ranma's a nice guy, and a pretty decent houseguest. Plus, I missed having a sparring partner since my sister stopped practicing the Art," Ryoko grinned. The pig-tailed martial artist next to him snorted. "At least he doesn't throw me out the window like oyaji. He is pretty good, though." Kasumi smiled at that. "What do you do, Ryoko-kun?"

"Ah, not much. I work part-time at the local hospital. I also teach Kempo at Juuban Highschool." "Oy! Doctor, I don't feel so well, wanna have a look at me?" Urd snickered as Ryoko turned red and Ranma pinched his nose to prevent keeling over at the sight of the overly amorous goddess draping herself over their host, at the same time un-draping her garments from her body. Kasumi arched an eyebrow and looked slightly amused. "Oh my, pretty straightforward, isn't she?" she asked. Trying to fight down the blood that had shot to his head, Ryoko shook his head. "Oh right, I forgot. Kasumi, Ranma, this is Urd. She's…well, her job is kinda complicated. It ties in with what occurred at the train station today." Turning to look at Urd, he added, "You probably checked the Yggdrasil files, but anyway, these are Saotome Ranma and Tendo Kasumi."

"So, what happened today, anyway? I mean, it's not everyday the train station is overrun by hungry, man-eating monsters," Ranma chuckled, but turned sober. "These looked even worse than the eight-headed Orochi at Ryugenzawa." "Try the whole district," Urd noted. "We had them popping up all over Juuban today. Setsuna told me the Senshi counted at least twenty-three more, not counting the ones you vaped at the train station, Urd," Ryoko added. Stunned silence followed his proclamation, until Kasumi broke it with her usual answer to a major shock. "Oh my." Next to her, Ranma worked his jaw as if to say something, but no sound would come out. "All right, so what's up with them?" He finally managed to get out. Ryoko turned to him. "I trust you two can keep a secret?"

Not in the mood for a flippant remark for once, Ranma just nodded. The man across from him shot a glance at Urd before speaking. "Well, this is going to be hard to believe, but Urd here is a goddess." "Uh-huh," Ranma shrugged. "And?" Grinning, Ryoko continued. "She's the Norse goddess of the past, and we're having some actual trouble." Kasumi interjected, "What kind of trouble?" Urd cleared her throat. "We received a report that a demon had let loose a horde of oni – that's what we call these demonic entities – on Tokyo in search of a certain being. That being is called the 'Nexus of Chaos', and I don't think I have to explain that title any further." As she concluded, three pairs of eyes focused on a certain, pig-tailed martial artist.

"What do they want? I'm assuming you're talking about me, here, right?" Ranma wasn't all that surprised that there was yet another person after him, although this time the reason was quite…unorthodox. "Well, it seems they want to use the chaotic energy in you and crash Yggdrasil," Urd explained. "Yggie-what?" "Yggdrasil, the world computer," Ryoko threw in. "Long story, but leave it at that. They crash it, some very, very bad things happen." Ranma arched an eyebrow. "Like what? Come on, crashing a computer is no big deal, is it? What kind of computer can it be?"

"Oh maybe just the kind of computer that happens to run the entire damn world?" Urd ventured sarcastically. Ryoko sighed. "Anyway, we'll have to keep you safe until we figured out who's behind this. We're having friends working on it, but…" Ranma cut him off. "I can take care of myself." The other martial artist shot him an odd look that made Ranma squirm in his seat a little. "That may well be, but can you hold your own against several oni at the same time? And protect those close around you? I don't mean to belittle your skills, Ranma, but we want to keep both you and Kasumi safe…seeing that there won't be a train departing from that train station anytime soon," Ryoko chuckled humorlessly at the last comment.

"This place is safe, for the moment. I put up enough demon wards it could keep mother out," Urd grinned. "Plus, there's some unpleasant surprises waiting for whoever gets past or is not a demon." As if on cue, a little bug crawled onto the windowsill outside, only to be smashed flat by what seemed to be a…pastry. The bug managed to dig itself out and started eating from the apparently free food, but keeled over and turned a sickly green and began sprouting purple polka dots. Ryoko arched an eyebrow. "Urd, have you been cooking again?" The goddess managed to look mildly abashed. "Te-he…well…you see, it would have been a waste to let all that go to waste…" Ranma and Kasumi looked at each other, then at Urd, then back at each other, shrugging. "I should introduce you to Akane sometime," Ranma said.

"Oh? Why is that?" The goddess looked away from the interestingly colored dead bug and back at the pig-tailed martial artist. "Her cooking is just about as toxic as yours. You two could make a career producing chemical weapons for the laboratory." Kasumi started to giggle, and Ranma soon joined her laughing. Ryoko grinned at the obviously private joke, but made a mental note to never let anyone named Tendo Akane near his kitchen. Urd just frowned. And kept frowning, until Ryoko's voice interrupted her. "Uh, Urd?"

"Yeah?" the irritated goddess shot back. "How did this bug get this color? I'm thinking it's kind of…odd." The doctor was pointing at the windowsill. "I'm a goddess, silly," she retorted, before adding, "Hm…I guess I added a touch too much pulverized goblin horn to that potion…" Both of them turned at a gurgling noise coming from Ranma. He was sitting up, still holding his sides in silent laughter, his face contorted in a grimace that said he didn't know whether to laugh or start running away. He finally settled on telling Kasumi, "I take back what I said. Please, make sure she **never** meets Akane. One of them is **enough**!"

_V----------------------------------------V_

Mara scanned the terminal in front of her and rubbed her eyes tiredly. Ever since Urd had called in and talked to Hild, there had been a lot of work landing on her desk, making it impossible for her to free some time to go out and torment some mortals. Or have a good drink at the nearest bar, which would have been what she really needed right now. "But no, mother had to call in and tell me to look for anything in the stupid d-base that might lead to Mr. Big-and-ugly-I'm-gonna-destroy-the-world," the demoness muttered.

"Not quite," a soft voice said from behind her. Mara whipped around at the intruder, mentally cursing. _Just how did he get past all my security?_ Before her stood a lean young man, with jet-black heir shot through with silver highlights, elegant features, and, more importantly, the marks of a demon first class. "Who are you and what do you what?" Mara wasn't in a good mood, and she wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to vent some frustration, evident by the electricity crackling around her right arm. "I was merely correcting you. I'm not out to destroy the world. I merely wish to crash the doublet system," the man said amiably. "Listen you dolt, I don't care if you're joking or not, but I'm gonna deep fry you now," Mara snorted and let fly two forcebolts.

Ten inches from the man's face, they impacted against an invisible barrier. "Now, is that any way to greet a colleague?" The man smirked and lifted his hand. Mara tried to dodge the lance of demonic energy he threw at her.

Then came the blackness.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Skuld tapped away irritably at her keyboard. Her search for traces of any intrusion into Yggdrasil had gone unsuccessful so far, and Yggdrasil contained no reference concerning the oni recently unleashed. _But the files must have been here! And if someone let them loose, there has to be an access code or something…at least a stray tracer signal…unless…_Skuld froze as she considered the option that popped up in her head. _Unless someone purged the files on purpose. But no one can delete files without leaving an access trace in the system! Except…_ The eyes of the young goddess widened as realization hit her. _Unless it was a god or goddess. We keep a constant link to Yggdrasil, so it doesn't log our access and protocols…_

Resuming her typing, Skuld called up a list of recent activities in the world computer system. "If I can cross-reference the activities with the time the oni were let loose…" The sound of clapping caused her to turn around. Straight into the path of an incoming forcebolt.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Kasumi glanced at the boy walking at her side. Physically, Ranma hadn't changed all that much, the face still held the boyish, slightly mischievous look. His eyes still shone a bright blue, full of life and vigor, and his walk still held a catlike grace many a dancer would kill to have. The pig-tailed martial artist had changed, though, and Kasumi was just beginning to notice the effect being away from the Tendo dojo had had on the youth. He had become more serious, and had taken to politeness – a change she heartily welcomed in him. He had also been acting more responsible, and Kasumi was wondering once more whether it had been such a bad thing that he had left the dojo.

"Kasumi? Is something wrong?" Ranma's voice shook her out of her reverie. "You were zoning out a little. You all right?" Kasumi smiled at the boy's concern. "Yes, thank you. I was just thinking about something." Her attention remained on the pig-tailed youth as they continued down the market area of Juuban, and she noticed with a glimmer of amusement that one of his eyes seemed always be trained at her, never letting her out of his sight. The warmth she had been feeling a week ago at his protectiveness and care came back full force, and she couldn't help but smile. "Ranma?" she asked. "Hm…?" the pig-tailed martial artist shot a quick glance at her. "Do you like it here?" _Oh my, where did that come from?_ Kasumi wondered. To her surprise, Ranma nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it's nice and quiet. No one around here knows me, and I don't get challenged to fights out of the blue every five minutes. No fiancees chasing after me and leaving mass destruction in their wake, no oyaji to screw up my life." He gaver her a wide grin, and his light blue eyes shone with a fire she had rarely seen in him. "Here, I'm free, Kasumi. I don't have to rescue anyone every other day, oyaji ain't here to order me around on how to restore the family honor he dragged through the mud in the first place. It's just me here."

As she listened, Kasumi realized that he indeed had been right. While life at the dojo had been somewhat comfortable for the pig-tailed martial artist, it had been nowhere as peaceful. She took note for the first time that he hadn't been attacked ever since she arrived – unless one counted the encounter at the train station – and there had been no weird magical artifacts or spells flying around (although Ryoko had assured them that was even more of a commodity here in Juuban than it was over in Nerima). She tried to count all the times Ranma had had to save her little sister, and failed to come up with a number. Attempting to name all the times the boy had had to clean up his father's messes met the same result, and all of a sudden Kasumi realized Ranma hadn't been viewing the dojo as his home. It had been a temporary refuge from the tenuous life on the road, nothing more.

Her hand went up to cover her mouth in shock. _I failed him. I was supposed to be there for all, to help make them feel at home. And what did I do for Ranma? A friendly word here and there…_"Kasumi?" Ranma waved a hand in front of her face, a mix of nervousness and amusement on his face. The way he averted his eyes and swallowed hard combined with the apparent grimace that showed the effort he was making not to laugh was too much for her, and Kasumi broke out into laughter. "Just doing some thinking, Ranma." He nodded and continued walking ahead, one eye still riveted on her, and a smile on his face. Kasumi smiled at the sight. She hadn't ever seen him so full of…life.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Kasumi opened her eyes, slightly disoriented at first. Glancing around the dark room the young woman looked around for something familiar, but found none. Panic seized her for a moment before she recalled where she had been staying for the last several days. As her brain slowly began to reactivate, she began to take note of her surroundings. The sounds of sparring drifted through the window and the heavy curtains, and Kasumi moved to part them, letting the first rays of the sun hit the room. Out in the backyard, right below her window, she could see two figures fighting in the dim morning sun, as they did every morning. A small smile crept on her face as she realized how familiar this scene had become, with Ranma and his father sparring every morning before breakfast.

However, she did note one difference. Whereas Ranma's fights with his father were always short, insult-ladden and sluggish, the two figures below almost seemed to dance. No words were spoken as they flowed from form to form, dodging and countering smoothly. The pace of the dance picked up, fists and legs blurring until Kasumi could no longer distinguish the limbs or their owners. Finally, it ended with Ryoko on his back from one of Ranma's aerial kicks. Smiling once more, she turned around and left, to make breakfast.

Upon reaching the kitchen, Kasumi stopped dead in her tracks. The table was set, the food was simmering on the stove, and a note hung on the doorframe, addressed to her. Picking it up and reading it, the girl smiled and headed out for the back door. "Come on, breakfast is served," she called out, her quiet voice penetrating the early morning haze. In a flash, Ranma was at the table, while Ryoko lazily strolled past her. "Thanks, Kasumi," he grinned. "Where's your friend, Urd?" she asked, eliciting a chuckle from the martial artist. "Probably in her room, still sleeping. She gets hungover a lot and sleeps even more than she drinks."

Before Kasumi could reply, Ranma came flying out of the dining room and crashed into Ryoko, bowling him over. As the two martial artists picked themselves off the ground, they glanced into the house. There, framed by wisps of sulfurous smoke, stood a lean man with a shock of black hair. "Ouch, those wards stung," he said. Ranma's eyes went wide, and Ryoko mumbled something about talking to Urd about the qualities of her wards and seals. Both returned their gaze to the intruder, who had grown a smirk in the meantime. "Ah, yes. Meiou Ryoko, isn't it? And Saotome Ranma."

For a moment, Ryoko was tempted to fling a "What do you want," at the strange man, but stopped himself. That would be too much cliché for even him to handle. He didn't get the chance to say anything, as Kasumi beat him to it. "Oh my, would you like some tea?"

An audible crash could be heard as the newcomer's jaw hit the floor. Ryoko just arched an eyebrow, while Ranma stared in surprise at Kasumi, all the while suppressing the urge to facefault. Finally, Ryoko sighed. "I'm guessing that means no." Returning his gaze to the still gaping man, he continued. "Oh come on. Stop drooling over my floor. Let me guess: you're a demon, just came from Hell, and are here to steal someone's soul to conquer the world, right?" "You're almost right, except for one thing." The intruder took a deep breath. "**I'M NOT HERE TO TAKE OVER THE DAMN WORLD! WHY IN THE SEVEN HELLS DOES EVERYONE THINK I WANT TO DO THAT?**"

Ranma leaned over to Ryoko and whispered, "Seven Hells? Ain't that a bit much?" "Not quite sure. You might want to ask Urd, but you're right, I think seven is overkill," Ryoko replied. The demon returned his attention to the two. "Hey! Stop ignoring me! All right, my entrance wasn't as dramatical as it could have been, so what? I'm Firkraag, demon first class, first category, unlimited. Saotome Ranma, I've come to claim your soul!" The two martial artists returned their gaze to Firkraag at his sudden change of demeanor.

Ranma gulped as he took in the flaming aura surrounding the demon, and the sheer blackness emanating from him. He tapped Ryoko on the shoulder. "Uh…he wasn't kidding, was he?" The other man just shook his head and took a defensive stance. "Well, come and get it," he offered. The demon, however, stood stock still. "Not necessary," he growled and held out a hand. A bolt of light shot towards the door. Ranma leapt out of the way, closing in with the demon, while Ryoko extended his hands. "_Môkô Tenshin_," he whispered, a purplish barrier of ki flaring into existence. The forcebolt bounced off with a shriek and smashed into the wall, burning a neat hole through it four inches wide. Firkraag snorted and turned to Ranma. "On the other hand, I might just have some fun sirst," he said with an evil smirk as he fired another forcebolt into the opposite direction, heading straight at the one person who wasn't involved in the conflict, and the one person who couldn't defend herself.

"Kasumi!" Two voices echoed through the house as both martial artists launched themselves at the woman. "_Môkô Takabisha_!" Ranma yelled, the blast of ki impacting with the spell and doing…nothing, dissipating harmlessly. Ryoko's fan reached the spell a millisecond later and shattered. The spell hit Kasumi, who was in the process of turning out of the way, and froze her, paralysing the eldest Tendo daughter. "Heh," Firkraag smirked as he decided to alter his plans a little. "Too easy. I'm not a picky one. Her soul will do just fine, Saotome Ranma." With a snap of his fingers, he and Kasumi disappeared in a puff of sulfur just as a lightning bolt blasted the spot where he had been standing a moment before.

"Damn," Urd growled. The goddess leapt down the stairs and stared around the room. Before she could say anything, though, another puff of smoke obscured the view. When it cleared, another person stood in the room, one that looked strikingly similar to Urd herself. Long, silver hair framing a dark, exotic face, wrapped up in a scandalously short dress. "Urd!" the new arrival yelled. "Mother?"

Ranma and Ryoko relaxed their stances. "Hello, Hild. Been a while," Ryoko greeted while the woman shot him a seductive grin. "Hey there yourself, honey." The smile left her face as quickly as it had appeared. "I'd love to stay and flirt, but we got a problem. Mara vanished, and so did Skuld. We're assuming that Firkraag got them both. We're also assuming he's got help up in Asgard. I wanted to warn you, but it seems I'm a bit too late." Ranma growled at the newly arrived Queen of Hell. "Damn straight. Now, if you got any ideas where to look for that guy, I'm gonna rip him to pieces, limb for limb, if he hurt Kasumi."

Urd interrupted the pig-tailed youth. "Well, we could start by getting help. Let's go to my sisters, maybe Belldandy will have an idea of where to start." Hild shook her head. "That's part of the problem. Kami-sama called the temple after Skuld vanished, and no one asnwered the phone. We have Yggdrasil scans that reveal a very powerful shielding spell around that area of Nekomi." Ryoko shrugged. "We'll just have to do it the old-fashioned way." Ranma shot a look at the older man. "You got a plan?"

"Yup. Walk in, bash their door, kick their ass."

"I like that plan."


	5. Chapter Five: Temple Battle and Return t...

Chapter Five: Temple Battle and the Return to the Dojo

Kasumi awoke to a light rustle of cloth against her forehead. The young woman opened her eyes and found herself staring into pools of deep, chocolate brown so much like her own. "It is good to see you awake." Kasumi blinked several times as her yes adjusted to the light that was filtering through her eyelids. "What…happened?" The brown eyes she was staring at withdrew a little, and she took in their owner for the first time. The woman before her was a little short, but had long brown hair tied back in a ponytail, like her own, and exuded an aura of…innocence and purity that nearly made Kasumi shiver.

"It seems that you were caught in the middle of a series of unfortunate events that only involved me and my sisters. I apologize," the woman bowed her head. Kasumi shook her head and beckoned her up. "It's quite all right. I'm sure Ranma will be coming soon." _I hope._ Truth be told, she had no idea where she was, and if the pig-tailed martial artist knew. "Where am I?"

"You're in my home. A temple in Nekomi ward. I would like to greet you under more pleasurable circumstances, but unfortunately, I can't make any tea at the moment." Kasumi glanced around. They were surrounded by a glimmering blue barrier in what she supposed was the living room, judging by the couch and TV. Next to them was another sphere that held two more women, one that seemed to be in her early twenties with shoulder-length blonde hair in a rather provocative leather outfit, and another, younger girl of around sixteen, Kasumi guessed, with long black hair dressed in unfamiliar robes.

"Oh, how rude," the woman noted suddenly. "I'm Belldandy, and those are Mara and my sister Skuld." Kasumi smiled and offered a small, polite bow. "My name is Tendo Kasumi. Yoroshiku."

Their chat was interrupted when the door opened and a lean man stepped through. His black hair fell to his shoulders and his posture indicated he was used to command. His face twisted in an arrogant sneer, he glanced at the four women in the room. "In case you don't know it yet, the wards I put up are strong enough to keep even Hild out, so don't count on your little half-breed sister to come to the rescue." His eyes turned to Kasumi. "And as for you…I wasn't actually planning to made a side-trip other than getting to the Nexus of Chaos, but I might as well have some fun while I'm at it."

"You…" Mara grunted obscenities towards the man. "Now, now. It's rather impolite to be muttering such things about your colleages, is it not?" His features turned into an evil smile. "Besides, I am perfectly going to get away with this. You see…Asgard has no control over us." "Us?" Belldandy asked.

A second person entered the room, making the man's answer obsolete. "Lenneth…" Belldandy murmured. "Hello there, Belldandy," the new arrival spat out the name as if it were venom. "What in the name of…I can't believe a goddess is actually going along with that nutcase!" Mara yelled. "What in the seven hells are you thinking!" The woman addressed as Lenneth smiled, an evil smile that matched her companion's. "Simple. I'm tired of being a second-class goddess. We have our limiters, but why? Weren't we **supposed** to be all-powerful? Isn't that what differs us from these mortals?"

The woman circled the energy barriers once before continuing. "I'm tired of being bound to Kami-sama's rules. He doesn't have any authority to tell us what or what not to do. He's a weak, senile old man who's afraid of our power, **that's** why we have the limiters!" The man held out a hand. "Lenneth, that's enough. We most certainly do not wish to reveal our plan to these people…even though they will have little chance of informing anyone else."

The two turned and left, leaving the four women alone. Kasumi glanced around nervously. She hadn't exactly understood all of what was going on here, but from what she had gathered this was…_a trap. It's a trap for Ranma-kun…_

_V----------------------------------------V_

The usually inviting temple that was the residence of three goddesses in Nekomi district wasn't quite what it had been since Ryoko's last visit. The structure hadn't changed, rather, it was the overwhelming aura of darkness that seemed to permeat the place. If one had a poetic affinity, one might have said it was thick enough to cut with a chainsaw. And was just about as concealable as an elephant in a porcelain store. The two martial artists and two divine beings approached the gate, wary of a trap.

"I don't like this at all," Urd said. "Bell wouldn't leave an aura like that. It's…wrong." Ryoko nodded. "Yeah. We'd better be careful. I don't want to know what surprises this Firkraag has for us." Falling into defensive stances, Ranma and Ryoko passed the gate and glanced around for any sign of activity. Seeing nothing, the pair crept forward, until a muttered curse from behind them had them return their attention to Hild and Urd. "What is it?" Ranma asked. Urd grimaced. "Someone set up demon wards. A lot of 'em. Not even mother can get through. I'll need some time to break through and remove the seals, you two go on ahead. We'll be right there. We don't have time, hurry!"

Nodding, Ryoko continued through the yard, heading for the house while Ranma set off in the direction of the backyard, all the while keeping an eye on each other. Ranma stopped dead in his tracks and shifted to an aggressive stance as he saw the figure appear before him. "Firkraag," he growled. The demon shot him a grin. "Wow, I didn't quite expect you to be stupid enough to waltz in here on your own. Although…I guess you did bring some backup," he continued, indicating Ryoko. Before the other man could move, another person appeared right in front of him. "Lenneth, take care of him while I entertain Ranma here." Ranma glared at the demon. "Listen, pal. I don't care who you are, if you hurt Kasumi I'm gonna make sure it's the last day you see the sun," he growled.

Firkraag smirked. "Famous last words. I haven't hurt her…yet. Still, it might be fun to see what's hiding under her calm façade, wouldn't it? I bet she's the screamer type." "Over my dead body," Ranma grunted. Firkraag's smirk widened. "That can be arranged."

Growling, the Saotome heir lunged at Firkraag, testing his defenses with a series of quick jabs and kicks. The two combatants leapt apart. The demon approached, throwing a left punch and an uppercut that would have sent its target into the stratosphere, but Ranma slapped the punch aside and ducked the uppercut, responding with a snap-kick to Firkraag's gut. The two continued trading blows until Ranma received a vicious palm strike to his chest, sending him flying backwards. While Firkraag didn't know how to fight hand to hand, his attacks more than made up for it in pure strength.

_Feh, he hits harder than Ryoga, and can take more damage, too, _Ranma thought. "All right, pal. Time to get serious. _Môkô Takabisha_!" The ki blast roared across the backyard, slamming into the demon, driving him into the ground. Firkraag shook his head to clear it of the ringing, surprised that a mortal could generate this much power. Before he could get back up, Ranma was already on top of him, yelling, "_Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-Ken_!" The pig-tailed martial artist kept unloading blows to his opponent's ribcage for a good thirty seconds before backing off, wearing his usual confident smirk.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ryoko turned his attention from Ranma and Firkraag to the woman in front of him. She appeared young, maybe eighteen most, with shoulder-length auburn hair and penetrating violet eyes. "I am Lenneth, goddess second class, first category, limited. Leave this place, mortal, and thou shalt not be harmed," she told him. With a wave of his hand, Ryoko cut her off. "No. And cut out on the Shakespearean accent. It annoys me," he said simply. With a frown, her violet eyes lit up in anger, and her extensive goddess garments switched to her battle outfit, somewhat resembling a simple white robe tied off with a golden sash, complemented by golden bracers. "Although it surprises me a goddess would associate with a demon like Firkraag, and for such petty goals, too," he continued.

Without further word or warning, the goddess charged him. The martial artist ducked a high kick, then flipped over a punch aimed at his solar plexus. Twisting around in mid-air, he used his momentum to turn the movement into a roundhouse kick, snapping her head around. Ryoko landed in a crouch, finishing his descent with a sweep, which Lenneth sidestepped. The goddess started levitating, and Ryoko backed off to gain some distance, leaping to the side abruptly as a forcebolt smashed into the ground where he had been a second ago. The martial artist continued dodging incoming projectiles, before countering with one of his own.

"_Hiryuu Kyo-Ken_!" A purplish wave of ki tore past Lenneth's barrage of forcebolts, and the goddess twisted, hoping to avoid the incoming ki blade. She partially succeeded, and the blast took off one of her sleeves. The simple blast was enough for her to loose her focus for a moment, and she dropped to the ground. The second she hit the stone ground, the goddess launched herself at Ryoko, throwing out two forcebolts. With a backflip, Ryoko let the two blasts pass beneath him, then shouted, "_Môkô Tenshin_!" A wall of ki formed before him, intercepting the next two forcebolts. Letting the shield dissipate, he snapped off a quick jab and dodged a kick. That, however, put him in the path of another of Lenneth's forcebolts; searing pain shot through Ryoko as he was blasted backwards, against the wall of the temple. _Ouch, feels like I got flash-fried._ Watching as the goddess closed in to finish the kill, he allowed himself a small smile, whispering, "_Perfected Hiryuu Kyo-Ken._" A silvery thread shot from the ki in his hand, hitting the goddess square in the chest. For a moment, nothing happened, and Lenneth stared down at herself, eyes widening at the silver thread sticking out of her.

With a thunderous roar, she was blasted away, skidding to a stop ten meters away. Both combatants picked themselves up, staring at each other.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma dodged a straight punch and landed a reverse knife-hand on Firkraag's ribcage. "Come on, let's dance!" he yelled as he started dodging around the demon. His enraged opponent roared in anger and picked up the pace of his strikes, only to hit thin air every time. Ranma continued to lead Firkraag around the backyard, tracing a familiar spiral with his steps.

_V----------------------------------------V_

"_Hiryuu Shôten Ha_!" Ranma's yell caused Ryoko to turn his head for a split second to see what was going on, before a murderous wind tore at him. His eyes widened as he took in the tornado that was forming around the pig-tailed martial artist. He took a moment too long observing the unnatural natural phenomenon as one of Lenneth's kicks struck his ribcage, twisting him around. Using the excess momentum from the kick, Ryoko whipped around and snapped a sidekick at the goddess, launching her off her feet and in the direction of the forming tornado. He dropped to one knee and drew his fans, yelling, "Mugen Tenketsu Final Attack: _Shinkuu-Ken_!" Hundreds of ki-enhanced vacuum blades pelted the tornado, slicing into it, aimed for the two beings currently being drawn upwards by the howling winds.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma stood in the eye of the storm, his hand still raised in an uppercut as he panted, exhaustion of the continuous dodging finally registering with him. For a full three minutes, the tornado he had called forth continued to rage and ravage the backyard, tearing up earth and stone, hurling them away into the four winds. Finally, the storm died down. Ranma's eyes wandered over the backyard, seeking out Ryoko. The other man was in the process of picking himself off the ground when something impacted the ground next to him. Looking up, the pig-tailed youth froze. Levitating in the air above them were their opponents, goddess and demon alike, seemingly unharmed, except for the tattered clothing.

"Foolish mortal! If you think you can defeat us that easily, then…then you're…" Firkraag sputtered in outrage. Ranma noticed Ryoko arching an eyebrow at the apparently illiterate or just plain stupid demon. "Uh, how about…wrong?" Ranma offered. The two immortals landed lightly, and Ranma prepared himself for round two.

_V----------------------------------------V _

Ryoko eyed the furious goddess before him carefully. He watched carefully as her hand wandered to the delicate gold earring on her right ear. He mentally cursed as he realized she was going to break her limiter. Lenneth shot him a cold smile as she held out her hand and the earring reformed itself into an ornate battlestaff. With a savage yell more suited for a Valkyrie than a goddess, she charged.

Ducking out of the way of her initial slash, Ryoko hit her with a leg-sweep. Lenneth turned her fall into a graceful flip, striking his back with her staff as she went along, slamming him into the ground. She reeled back and brought her staff down hard, only to find it blocked. Ryoko grunted and managed to get the staff away from him with a heave, and planted himself in a sideways stance, fan at the ready. He had no illusions about his chances to win. With her limiter broken, the goddess before him had enough raw power to annihilate a good quarter of the planet, much less deal with him. _Come on, Urd, I'm counting on ya…_

_V----------------------------------------V_

Another round of his _Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-Ken_ and a handful of ki blasts had Ranma panting from the exertion. Whatever happened to Firkraag during the _Hiryuu Shôten Ha_ had definitely had an effect – the demon seemed all the more capable of taking his blows, while dishing out even harder and faster, it seemed. _Or maybe I'm getting slower,_ Ranma suspected. Twisting to avoid a jaw-breaking uppercut, Ranma slid forward to unleash another Amaguri-Ken. He realized that the uppercut had been a feint a split second too late, and the follow-up kick clipped his shoulder even as he turned away. Firkraag snorted as Ranma attempted to pick himself off the ground. "Well fought, Ranma. Now, prepare to die. Heh. I'm going to enjoy ripping out your soul energy."

The pig-tailed boy would have groaned at the phrase he heard so often, but only managed a small grunt as he tried to roll out of the way of Firkraag's forcebolts. The screech of a forcebolt followed by the thud of a body hitting the ground prompted Ranma to open his eyes again. Over him stood the woman from Ryoko's apartment, crackling with lightning, and wearing a victorious smirk. "Thought you could use some help, honey," she noted with a seductive smile and bent down to help him up. It was then that Ranma realized he had an unobstructed view of her cleavage, at which point embarassment and exhaustion combined to make him pull a Ryoga and faint.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Fan clashed with staff as both combatants furiously sought to penetrate each other's defenses. Ryoko growled as he leapt back and slashed with his fan, sending a windblade hurling at his opponent, who simply blocked with her staff and flung herself back at him twirling her staff. _Who does she think she is, Bruce Lee?_ Ryoko snorted. As expected, breaking her limiter had resulted in Lenneth becoming faster and stronger, not to mention less prone to damage he inflicted upon her. Ryoko blocked one of her thrusts, then countered with a slash of his fan. Lenneth parried the slash by cocking her staff to the side, letting Ryoko overbalance himself. As the martial artist leaned forward, she brought her staff down hard on his shoulder, twirled it around and slammed it into his stomach. _Looks like she gained a couple Dan levels, as well,_ he thought as he fought for his breath.

With a grunt, Ryoko collapsed to his knees, the fan falling from his hand as he clutched his stomach. Lenneth glanced away for a split second to block an incoming lightning bolt, and he took the chance to lash out with his foot, slamming his heel into her right knee, forcing her to stagger back to recover. Which gave Urd more than enough time to nail the wayward goddess with several of her patented and copyrighted Urd bolts.

A hand on his shoulder steadied him, and another went around his waist to help him as he staggered to his feet. "Thanks, Urd," he grunted, looking around for his fan. Ryoko's eyes finally settled on a downed Ranma, with Hild leaning over him, her usually revealing dress uncovering even more of her skin than usual at that angle. He quickly joined Urd in snickering. "Poor boy," the goddess whispered. Ryoko only nodded. "Like daughter, like mother, huh?" he whispered with a smirk. A stifled curse from inside caused the two to turn around and approach the door. Ryoko grinned as he listened to the feminine voice rattling off profanities that would make a drunk sailor blush, and opened the door. Urd was grinning, as well, recognizing the voice as Mara's.

Hild and Ranma joined them, with Hild half dragging, half supporting the martial artist, who was still mostly out of it. By the time they had reached the living room, he had returned to his senses, and was keeping as far away from Hild as possible. The four stopped once they took in the living room and its four occupants, all of which were encased in sealing spells. Mara's face lit up once she noticed them arrive. "'Bout damn time you showed up!" She indicated the younger goddess of the future next to her. "The squirt was starting to bug the hell out of me."

Ranma glanced at Ryoko, who was trying to contain his mirth, while Urd and Hild went to work on trashing the wards. "Come on, Ranma. Let's help them. If you see any of these," Ryoko said, holding up an ofuda, "take it off, rip it to pieces, and incinerate it. Not necessarily in that order, though." Withing moments, between Hild, Urd, and the two martial artists, the floor was soon littered with torn paper and ashes, and the wards disappeared. "What took you so long?" Skuld grumbled, as Urd laughed. "We got lost on the way," the older Norn grinned. Hild and Ryoko shook their heads as the two sisters started bickering like nothing had happened, with Mara throwing in the occassional comment while Kasumi and Belldandy were offering their thanks. Ranma blushed bright red when Kasumi smiled and kissed him on the cheek, drawing a giggle from Mara and a chuckle from Ryoko.

An outraged shriek from Mara and a yell of "Sweeto!" got their attention, however, and they turned just in time to see Firkraag groping for Mara's cleavage as an elbow slammed into the demon's head, followed by a trampling courtesy of an angry Mara. "Hentai! Pervert! Molester! **FIRKRAAG NO BAKA**!" The demoness yelled as she stomped the already beaten and bruised demon further into the ground. Ranma shook his head. "You'd think he was related to Happosai, or something…" the pig-tailed martial artist muttered as Mara continued to stomp and yell at the demon at her feet. Ryoko leaned over and whispered, "Want to bet she's gonna get out a mallet real soon?" As if on cue, Mara produced something from out of nowhere. Calling it a mallet would be the understatement of the century. Being a demoness, calling it a warhammer was a more fitting descripting for the tool of destruction as she swung her weapon like a professional golfer. The poor demon was sent flying off, until he hit the barrier he himself had erected around the temple and slumped to the ground. Ranma and Ryoko gulped. "Grrr…If that guy ever gets out of punishment, I'm gonna maim him so badly…and to think, he asked me out on a date!" Mara rambled.

"Oh my, would you like some tea?" Belldandy and Kasumi asked at the same time. The same thought popped up in Ranma's and Ryoko's heads. _How can anyone be so similar?_ "Uh, sure, thanks," Ranma replied, while everyone else voiced their affirmation. After the two women had left for the kitchen, Ryoko collapsed into a chair. "So, what do we do about those two?" he asked, jabbing a thumb at the still unconscious figures in the backyard. "I'll take care of them," Hild said as she came through the door. "I'm pretty sure going through all nine hells will be quite the lesson, wouldn't you agree?"

_V----------------------------------------V _

As they walked back to Juuban district, Ranma fiddled around in his pockets and came up with a piece of paper. "Huh? What's this?" He unfolded it and skimmed over it. Ryoko glanced back at him. "What is it?" The pig-tailed martial artist grinned and shot a smile of thanks at Kasumi. "It's my mother's address. She lives in Juuban, too, so I think I'm gonna stop by or something." His face fell immediately after that. Ryoko noticed, and fell back a little, to walk beside Kasumi. "What's up with him? Shouldn't he be happy to see his mother?"

The oldest Tendo daughter nodded. "Yes, but there is a complication. Auntie Nodoka is very traditional. I'm not sure if I am supposed to tell you this, but she made Ranma and his father sign a contract before they left for their training trip. It stated that Ranma would be raised as a 'man amongst men,' or commit seppuku along with his father." Ryoko paled. "Wasn't Ranma a little kid back then? How could anyone possibly hold him to that contract?" Kasumi sighed again. "He isn't so much afraid of his death, what he really fears is the impression he'll leave on his mother. Especially his curse has shaken his belief in his 'manliness' as Auntie Nodoka calls it."

Shaking his head, Ryoko shot a glance at Ranma. "That's stupid. I've only known him for a week, but even I can see he's brave an honorable – almost to an unhealthy extent. Changing into a girl's body doesn't change his personality." "Not to mention his manners certainly have improved," Kasumi added with a smile. "We should get them to talk, you know. I'm not sure how long his mother hasn't seen him, but from the looks of it, it's been far too long." Ryoko caught a wry smile from Kasumi, an expression he'd not expected from her. "She has, although in cursed form. She thinks his cursed form is our cousin Ranko. He hasn't found the heart yet to tell her the truth, and I agree with you, they should talk."

A grin crept up Ryoko's face. "Tell you what. Tomorrow, while Ranma's at school, let's pay her a visit." The girl's grin nearly matched his own.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ryoko kept shooting glances at the young woman walking next to him. As he watched her, he began to see what Ranma had meant when he described her as a goddess. _She's almost exactly like Belldandy…I wonder if it's some cosmic joke or something,_ the martial artist mused. He forcibly tore himself out of his musings about the woman as they arrived at the door of the Saotome estate. Glancing up, the house was an impressive three story building, constructed in European style. It looked definitely antique. The door opened only seconds after he knocked, revealing a middle-aged woman with short brown hair dressed in a formal sakura-patterned kimono. She was carrying a wrapped katana at her side and was eyeing him suspiciously. Her look turned towards welcoming, however, when she noticed Kasumi standing next to him.

"Kasumi-chan! I didn't know you were in Juuban! Please, come in!" Ryoko managed to suppress a grin at her cheerfulness – mostly. When they were seated in the living room, Saotome Nodoka set down a tray on the table, pouring tea with a big grin on her face. "Thank you, Auntie Nodoka," Kasumi smiled as she accepted her teacup. Ryoko stood and offered the Saotome matriarch a crisp bow. "Good afternoon, Saotome-san. My name is Meiou Ryoko."

He gulped as Nodoka shot them a calculating look, and he noticed even Kasumi was squirming slightly. "Say, Kasumi, who is this nice young man? Your boyfriend?" Ryoko groaned minimally, before chuckling. "Actually, Saotome-san, I'm not. I happen to be a friend of your son's, and we came to talk to you about him." If anything could get Nodoka's attention, it was either their family honor, or the mention of her son. "What is it? Can you tell me about Ranma?" Kasumi laid a calming hand on the older woman's arm. "Auntie, we need to talk about that…contract, and we need to tell you about Ranma."

Nodoka's eyes widened in shock. "My son hasn't done anything dishonorable, has he? He hasn't done something…" Waving her off, Ryoko interrupted. "Quite the contrary. Saotome-san, I've only known your son for a week or so, but I can tell you – and Kasumi here will confirm that – that Ranma is one of the most honorable and kind people I know. He's a little rough around the edges, but he's begun to fix that. No, if it's honor you're worried about, he has done nothing to dishonor him." The martial artist wanted to continue, but Kasumi took over. "What Ranma-kun is worried about is something…of a more delicate matter. Have you heard about the training trip to China?"

It was evident the Saotome matriarch hadn't, so Kasumi launched into an abbreviated version of the story of the journey. When she reached the part about Jusenkyo, she halted. "There's a special training ground in China, you see," she began again, slowly. "It seems like Ojisan thought it would be a good idea to go there. Unfortunately, he couldn't read a word of what was written in the travel guide, and failed to listen to the guide." "What's so special about this Jusenkyo?" Nodoka asked.

"It's cursed," Ryoko told her. "There's some hundred-odd springs that are cursed. Whatever falls into them, turns into whatever drowned there last when splashed with cold water. The curse is reversible with hot water, but there is no known cure." He noticed Nodoka's eyes had narrowed to slits, and her hand was gripping the katana tight enough that her knuckles were turning white. "Ranma and his father fell in. He was afraid to tell you, because he feared you would reject him for what he had become, and he didn't want you to be hurt by it," Kasumi finished.

"What do they turn into?" Ryoko glanced at Kasumi, since she was more familiar with Ranma. "Ojisan turns into a panda," she began, pausing to let Nodoka make the mental connections. "A panda…and…my son…Ranko?" Her gaze fixated on Kasumi. "Ranko is my son?" Kasumi nodded. "Yes, Auntie." The three fell into an uncomfortable silence as Nodoka contemplated the story she'd just been told. Her first impulse was to go and make a panda-skin rug for the fireplace, for all her husband had put their son through. Her second was to ask them to take her to Ranma. Her third was to combine the two and make a panda-skin rug while being led to Ranma.

"Can I meet him?" she whispered. Ryoko arched an eyebrow, unmoving. "Are you going to hold him to the contract?" Nodoka shook her head. "I never intended for him to commit seppuku, it was just to keep my husband in line…if Ranma is indeed as you tell me, I have nothing to be ashamed of. Except for that husband of mine, but I'll settle that at a later date. Right now I only want to see my son." With an approving smile, both Ryoko and Kasumi shared a glance. "Saotome-san, would you honor me by dining with us tonight?" Ryoko offered. The woman leaped at the opportunity before catching herself and bowing in acknowledgement. "You honor me with your invitation," she replied. "When do you want me there?"

Glancing at his watch, Ryoko smiled. "I'll be here at about…six o'clock to escort you there." The two bowed as they left. "Ranma's going to be in shock," Ryoko mused as they walked back to his house. "Yes," Kasumi giggled. For a moment, Ryoko thought he caught a hint of mischief in her eyes.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma returned from his after-school training session, following the scent of dinner to the kitchen. He was surprised to see Kasumi standing there, putting the last touches on a large dinner. The first thing the pig-tailed martial artist noted was that Ryoko was conspiciously absent. The second thing Ranma took note of was that there was enough food for **five**. While he knew Ryoko would never let Kasumi cook while she was a guest – no, scrap that, would never let her cook everything by herself, since holding Kasumi from a kitchen was virtually impossible – he wasn't present. Which made Ranma wonder where he had gone off to, and why Urd was setting the dinner table for five – she had been banned from the kitchen ever since that incident with the bug on the windowsill. Ranma gave up trying to connect both mysteries and decided to just let his host surprise him when the lock clicked open.

Laughter wafted through the door, followed by a female voice. "Oh, you'd be perfect for someone like Kasumi-chan." That statement was followed by a string of vehement denials and stuttering that left Ranma wondering why the first voice sounded familiar. That was when Ryoko and his company entered the dining room. Ranma froze dead in his tracks, like a deer caught in the headlights, unable to move. There, right next to Ryoko, arm hooked through his, was his mother. "Mo-mo-mother," he stammered. That was as far as he got, before being engulfed in a glomp that would do an amazon proud.

Slowly, he began returning the hug, choking out, "M-mom…air…" Urd snickered while Ryoko blushed, suddenly experiencing a slight sense of dejá vú. Nodoka released her son, who found himself unexpectedly drenched with water from a glass she had been holding. Before Ranma could begin to stutter and start babbling, Nodoka hugged her again. "Oh my son!" Urd decided to do the mortal a slight favor and conjured up a blob of warm water above his head. With pinpoint accuracy, she let it drench Ranma, triggering the transformation again. That caused Nodoka to loosen her hug and splash her son once more, giggling like a little girl with a new toy as her son changed genders again. Which, in turn, caused Urd to conjure up more hot water. Which caused Nodoka to splash him with more cold water. The two women played around, giggling like little children, while Ranma, Ryoko and Kasumi just stood there, chuckling and rolling their eyes.

_Sheesh, she reminds me of Ukyo doing this,_ Ranma mused with a grin as he endured the shower he got. Finally, Nodoka ran out of water, and Ryoko cleared his throat. "Uh, Saotome-san. It's nice to see you and your son are getting along so well, but dinner's waiting, and I really don't want to let Kasumi's heavenly cooking to go cold." Within moments, everyone was seated. Ranma had quickly brought up his aura and used it to dry his clothes to an acceptable degree. Nodoka was still eyeing her son with dreamy eyes. "Ooh, what a manly son I have," she muttered, then began bombarding the pig-tailed martial artist with questions. Ranma, who had calmed down somewhat after realizing his mother wasn't going to hold him to the seppuku contract, was just arriving at the part where he had arrived at Ryoko's place to have some "peace and quiet to recuperate from going out with so many girls at once," as Kasumi put it. Urd was frantically trying to control the laughter that was welling up inside her.

Her bout of humor was interrupted, however, when she heard Nodoka say, "Oh, how manly my son is! Making out here with three lovely girls as well!" As she said that, she was eyeing Kasumi and Urd with a calculating look that would have sent shivers down even Nabiki's spine. Urd blanched, while Kasumi "eep'ed" and let out her trademark "Oh, my!" And it was Ryoko's turn to laugh – their reactions were bad enough, but he could only imagine the look on Setsuna's face at Nodoka's implication that she was romantically associated with the "Wild Horse" of Nerima. The goddess of the past wasn't going to let him get out of the sling so easily, though, and grabbed his arm, before declaring, "Actually, Nodoka-san, I'm already Ryo-chan's fiancee!"

"You are?" Ryoko squeaked.

Before anyone could comment on that, a shout from the outside pierced the neighborhood. "**WHERE THE HELL AM I NOW? RANMA, YOU'RE GOING TO DIE FOR MAKING MY LIFE HELL!**" Ranma grimaced, while Ryoko arched an eyebrow, inwardly glad to get off the embarassing topic. "Don't tell me it's that Hibiki boy – the one with that horrible sense of direction?" Ranma nodded. "Yep. More like, without sense of direction. I knew it was only a matter of time before he stumbled across me accidentally. He probably sensed my aura as I used it to dry." To make matters worse, a second shout echoed through the night. "**RANMA**! You will come and fulfill your family honor this instant, you ungrateful boy!" Ryoko noted with amusement that Nodoka's hand had tightened around her katana. He started heading for the door. "I don't know how they found you, but I'll take care of them. Be right back."

He opened the door and stepped outside, surprised when he noticed Ranma had followed him. "Hey, they are my problems. I should deal with them. I'll make it fast," Ranma told him. In the growing darkness, Ryoko could see two figures standing at his gate – both rather large. However, wheras one seemed to be all muscle, the other was just plain…fat. Ranma leapt off the stairs and landed in the middle of the yard. Ryoko moved to stand next to him, falling into a stance.

"What're you doing?" The pig-tailed boy asked in bewilderment. "I don't need help." Chuckling at the boy's confidence, Ryoko shook his head. "I know you don't need help, Ranma. I was just thinking, your mother's waiting inside, and the food's getting cold. We should hurry before she decides she wants pork chop and a new panda-skin rug." He winked at his friend. "Plus, I'm dying for Kasumi's dessert." Ranma grinned widely at the last comment. "Good point. You take Ryoga. I'll take oyaji." Ryoko nodded, and the two martial artists leapt, crossing the distance between them and the two intruders while they were still trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma landed a flying kick against Genma, before touching down on the ground. "What do you want?" he snarled. The old man frowned. "Boy! It's time for you to get over your childish behavior and marry Akane!" Ranma laughed. "Oh, right. I suppose I knocked you out when I left, huh. Well, sorry to break the news to you, but the engagement's off. Plus, I'm not marrying that violent, uncute, homicidal tomboy!" Genma lunged at his son. "You will do what honor demands!" Dodging, Ranma tossed back, "What would you know about honor?"

"Insolent child! Accept your fate already! You'll marry Akane and join the schools!"

"No way!"

"I shall have to teach you respect for your elders! Yield now and I won't hurt you," the panda-man threatened, causing Ranma to laugh as he effortlessly dodged and ducked attacks that should have sent him sprawling. _Hm…all that sparring with Ryoko's paying off. I never realized he was so close to my level. We both actually nearly went full out as much as we could without causing too much damage._ "Start thinking with something other than your stomach, and you might be able to beat me, oyaji!" Ranma shouted as he flipped over Genma's head, leg extended backwards in a kick that sent his father bouncing against the low wall that surrounded Ryoko's house.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ryoko's hammerblow managed to clock Ryoga's head to the side, but didn't really do much more. It was, however, enough to snap the lost boy out of his thoughts. "Hey! Who are you, and why did you attack me?" Ryoko shrugged noncommitally. "Well, this is my house. And I can't have you threaten my guests." Ryoko ducked a punch that he was pretty sure could break through concrete and swept his opponent off his feet. He grinned. While Ryoga had brute strength – and more than enough of that – he was relatively slow. Ryoko knew he couldn't quite match Ranma's speed during aerial combat at the moment, but he could quite easily outmatch his friend's agility and speed on the ground. The daily sparring sessions had taken care of equalizing their skills.

Dodging an umbrella thrust, he executed a spin kick to the lost boy's face, snapping it around and following up with a double-handed palm strike to the chest that sent Ryoga flying backwards. Deciding to cut the fight short so he could still enjoy the remains of dinner, he charged his ki and closed in. He wasn't surprised to see Ryoga rising from his place on the ground, from what Ranma had told him this guy was really tough. But, compared to their styles, which revolved around speed, he was slow enough to dodge effortlessly. Catching one of Ryoga's fists in a tiger-claw grip, Ryoko used to leverage to close in with his opponent.

"_Munashii Raishuu_," he whispered. The lost boy's eyes widened in surprise as he got blasted by 102 ki-powered palm stikes to the exact same spot in split second. Winding down on the attack, Ryoko uppercutted the lost boy, then turned around dusting his hands while a fading, "Ranma, this is all your fault!" resounded in the night.

_V----------------------------------------V_

"Yo, Pop, I'd love to play longer, but we're having dinner. And I doubt my host would appreciate missing dinner 'cause of you and Ryoga. In fact, I have it on good authority he's quite pissed right now." Ranma was grinning. A confused Genma glanced around, earning him a bonk on the head. "What? Where?" A finger tapped on his shoulder, and he whirled around to come face to face with Ryoko. Ranma's eyes widened at his friend's sudden appeareance. He'd seen him punting Ryoga one moment, the next he stood there behind his father. He hadn't even sensed his approach, which meant he had to have a technique similar to the _Umisen-Ken_.

"Who are you, and how did you do that?" Genma demanded, eliciting a chuckle from Ryoko. "First, my name is Meiou Ryoko. Second, this is my house, and you're most definitely not welcome here. Third, it's so easy to sneak up on you. You're lacking situational awareness. Fourth, I practice a ninja art. Fifth…" Ryoko brandished Ryoga's umbrella and swung it like a baseball bat. "Homerun! Yeah!" Genma's fading form could be seen soaring across the Juuban skyline, and many would mistake him for a UFO that day.

At Ranma's odd look, he grinned at the other martial artist, hoisting the umbrella on his shoulder. "Something I picked up from a gaijin movie. I have to admit, it is kind of fun. Now I see why Mara likes to mallet people."

_V----------------------------------------V_

As the two martial artists returned to the dining room, a mere three minutes after they had left, the satisfied grins on both their faces were obvious to Nodoka and Kasumi. "I take it the matter was resolved all right?" Nodoka asked. Ryoko shot her a warm, mischievous grin. "Oooh, yes. Very much so. Quite a good stress-reliever, wouldn't you say, Ranma-kun?" he told her in an overly sweet tone. Ranma turned and copied the grin and the voice. "Definitely, Ryoko-kun."

The rest of the dinner went peacefully, with Ranma continuing the story about his life on the road – including as many of his fiancees as he could remember, the stupid techniques his father had trained him in, and finally stopping short at the confrontation with Akane, just over a week ago. Nodoka was already livid, her eyebrow twitching dangerously, and it was taking all of her self-control not to go and give a certain panda-man, a mercenary girl, and, most of all, a violent, perverted tomboy of a girl a piece of her mind. Then the rational part of her mind caught up, realizing that Ranma's account of events probably was biased. Her ire grew, however, when Kasumi and Ryoko confirmed his story to the last bit.

Kasumi then filed her in on the events that had led to Ranma leaving the dojo. She was starting to fear this had been a bad idea, for Saotome Nodoka was giving off a gigantic, crimson battle-aura. Ranma finally said something that broke through her mass of angry thoughts. "Mom? I'm not going to marry Akane. I just can't. We tried to make it work, but…she keeps hitting me and…Akane never trusts me, I think that's the real problem." Then Nodoka did something totally unexpected. She grabbed her son into a hug that threatened to cut off his air supply. "Ranma, forget about honor. You proved to be more honorable than Akane, her father, and your father together by staying with her this long…just for this once…I don't want to see my child suffer anymore…just for once…**honor be damned**!"

Ryoko and Urd watched as Ranma and his mother hugged, sharing the love of mother and son who had been separated for a decade. Kasumi joined them on their side of the table. "Oh my, I wonder what Ranma-kun will do now?" she asked no one in particular. Ryoko glanced up at the eldest Tendo daughter. "He'll need to go back. There are still things in Nerima left to settle for him, and knowing Ranma, he will return – it's not in his nature to run from his problems." Ryoko paused for a moment to give the couple another look. "And he'll need your help, Kasumi. He cares deeply for his friends and family, and especially you. Many will not be pleased when he returns and announces the engagement is off."

A look that neither Ryoko nor Urd thought Kasumi possessed crossed her angelic features for a split second, before she adopted her usual smile. "Of course." Ranma glanced up from where he sat with his mother. "Mom, they're right. I left a lot of stuff unfinished when I ran out of the Tendo dojo. I'm gonna go fix my situation with Akane, and that'll be it. No more making up. Kuno can have that kawaiikune, irokunee tomboy if he wants her. Plus, knowing Pops, he'll be here tomorrow or the day after again if we don't return. Depending on how far you hit him." Ryoko and Urd grinned, while Kasumi was torn between giving him a stern look and a grin and a thumbs-up. She was glad Ranma was finally going to take his life into his own hands. He was finally taking that last step in growing up to be a man.

"Then it's settled. First thing in the morning, we're going on a road trip to Nerima," Ryoko announced. "What do you mean, we?" Ranma arched an eyebrow. "Hey, I'm coming with you. I'm not about to let you face Akane alone. Plus, I have a bill to present to Hibiki Ryoga – for blasting two meters of my wall with his punch." "Be glad he didn't try his _Bakusai Tenketsu_," Ranma laughed.

_V----------------------------------------V_

As soon as she arrived, Setsuna and Urd retired to one of the rooms, and Setsuna began filling in the goddess about Ranma's life. And, if the angry noises coming from the room were any indication, the goddess of the past was **not** pleased. The room quieted down after a few minutes, and an eerie silence descended over the house, strangely reminiscent of the calm before the storm. After another hour, the two women stepped out of the room, looking rather smug and cheerful.

Ryoko immediately noticed the gleam in his sister's eyes that told him she was planning something, and attempted to make a hasty retreat. Urd, however stopped him. "Don't worry, it doesn't have to do with you," she told him, the same mischievous glint in her eyes. "Uh…right," Ryoko said, looking rather not convinced. "Oh, and brother?" "Yes, Setsuna?" The green haired woman smirked. "I'm coming along to Nerima."

_V----------------------------------------V _

It was a warm, sunny day in Nerima as an unusual procession made its way from the train station to a certain dojo. The two men and four women that walked calmly through the streets attracted a lot of attention, and most people they passed stopped whatever they were doing to catch a glimpse at them. The two males and two of the women of the party carried themselves with the grace of year-long martial arts training, while the other women, while appearing nowhere as dangerous, exuded an aura that commanded respect. That same air of respect and confidence was also what kept most people out of their way, the masses at the busy Nerima marketplace parting easily before them. Most of the people were also wondering what kind of insanity was going to spring up at the Tendo dojo this time.

When the six of them approached the gate of the dojo, they were greeted by the sight of a certain, shrivelled up old man getting chased by a mob of enraged schoolgirls and housewives swinging brooms and whatever else they could get into their hands coming right their way. Ryoko grinned shook his head. "He's still into that, is he," he chuckled. Ranma leapt up to meet the diminuitive martial arts master, planting a foot firmly in his face. "Yo, old lech."

Happosai looked up, grinning as he saw Ranma. "Hello, Ranma, m'boy! Haven't seen you in a while, I was starting to miss my Ranma-chan!" Out of nowhere, the perverted Anything-Goes master produced a bucket of water. Before he could fling it at the pig-tailed boy, however, the bucket fell apart, neatly sliced in half, drenching the ancient pervert. Glancing to the side, Happosai's eyes widened as he saw Ryoko standing there, opened fan in hand. "Hello, Master Happosai. How's life been treating you?" The other members of the group gaped as they saw him bow before the grandmaster of Anything-Goes. Their jaws dropped a good bit lower as they saw Happosai bowing back. "Fine, fine. And you, Master Ryoko?"

Said man chuckled. "Pretty good. I see you're still as lively as ever, huh? Who can blame you, such nice young ladies…" The mob that had been chasing Happosai had dissipated to two girls walking around the corner, one trying to cover up her laughter while the other was grumbling in anger. When they came face to face with the group that had stopped in front of the dojo, the two girls froze. "Ranma?" Akane whispered. Nabiki just stared.

The pig-tailed martial artist gave them a short wave, before he replied lamely, "Hey." Akane was about to rush to him when she noticed the four women with her ex-fiancé. Nodoka didn't bother her the slightest. Kasumi was strange, since she had said she'd be visiting a friend, but it was entirely possible that she had run into Ranma on the way home. So far her mind was still capable of rational thought. What ticked her off, however, was the fact that there were two other, very beautiful women with them. One could almost hear Akane's mind grinding as it began to work:

Ranma + Odd, beautiful, exotic girlsmore fianceesit's Ranma's faultpunt Ranma

"Ranma," she hissed threateningly as she stalked towards said boy, her emotions boiling as the pent up grief and bitterness turned into the familiar heat of rage. "Who are these hussies?" Akane indicated Urd and Setsuna. "More fiancees?" Suddenly, bursting out of the house came the two idiot men of the house, one alternating between crying, "The schools will never be joined," and "How could you be unfaithful to your fiancee?" The other was grumbling something about family honor, but as soon as he saw Nodoka, dove into the koi pond, emerging as a wet, massive panda. "Looks like you didn't hit hard enough, brother," Setsuna commented, and Ryoko nodded in agreement.

Nabiki arched an eyebrow as Ranma tensed slightly, but didn't start to run or sputter excuses. "First, Akane is not my fiancee anymore. I-" Ranma was cut off as a sign knocked him over the head. He turned and shot a glare at the panda, who was holding up a sign that read, "Boy, you must uphold your family honor. What will your mother think if you are such a weak, whining girl?" the shock over seeing his retirement in danger had overcome the fact that his wife was in fact standing right there. A thing he ignored until the gleaming blade of a katana stopped right in front of his face.

"You will let our son speak his part, husband. I shall deal with you later. Also, you have no right to speak for me about what I think of my son." Keeping an eye and her sword levelled at her panda-husband, Nodoka nodded at Ranma. "Continue, son." The pig-tailed youth returned his eyes to the two Tendo sisters before him. "First of all, who they are is none of your concern. They are friends. And they are most certainly not fiancees, unless oyaji here did something stupid again." Before he could continue, Akane interrupted him with a wave of her hand. "Then what are these…sluts doing here? I mean, look at their clothes!" Indeed, Urd's clothing was somewhat skimpy, considering the fact that it was a pretty stripped-down variation of a kimono that exposed more than it covered. Even Setsuna's usual business suit seemed a little shorter than usual, the skirt only reaching mid-thigh. "Ranma no baka!" Akane yelled, charging forward, mallet in hand.

Ryoko grinned at the exchange. He knew the two of them had been up to something when they had stayed up late the night before, going through their closets. After he had decided to join them, they had worked out a plan to teach a certain violent martial artist-wannabe that messing with the wrong people could prove painful – if Ranma couldn't. As he heard the "sluts" comment, however, Ryoko's eyes narrowed in anger. _All right, I knew it was bad, but that her temper takes her to these levels of rudeness…_The girl in front of them sent them a glare. "Who are you, anyway? Go away, I don't want anything to do with perverts like you. You're probably just as bad as that baka there is," Akane nearly shouted. Nabiki kept trying to interrupt her, and shot Ryoko an apologetic glance.

Kasumi was staring in wonderment at her sister. How could she have forgotten her talks about Ranma so quickly? She had vowed to treat him better, to try and be friendly towards him if he ever showed up again. Yet it seemed that one moment of jealousy and pent-up anger had been enough to wipe it all away. Sharing a glance with Nodoka, she noted the Saotome matriarch was shaking her head in disgust. Indeed, this was not a fitting fiancee for her son.

_Akane came out of the kitchen, carrying a pot full of stew, and carefully set it down on the dining table. "Dinner is served!" She announced cheerfully, only to be greeted by dead silence. No one answered her, and the entire house was deserted. Not a single soul on the property. No Soun to praise her for putting so much effort into cooking, no Kasumi to tell her how much she improved, no Nabiki to make a smug comment. And no Ranma to tell her how awful it was and stow it. He was the only one ever there when she cooked, she recalled. And despite what she said to him and hit him with, his comments motivated her to try even harder. Now, he was gone, and no one was there to eat her cooking, no one to tell her how terrible it was, and no one to tell her how much she had to improve. It was frustrating, she thought. And Ranma wasn't around to release the frustration on. Her emotions finally got the better of her and she started sniffling, then breaking out crying. She was still crying when Kasumi came home from shopping._

Ranma watched the mallet head sailing down towards him, while noting the satisfied gleam in Akane's eyes. Her look turned to one of confusion, however, when she felt her blow stopping in mid-air. Ranma knew he mirrored her expression, because he was wondering why he hadn't been hit yet. Taking into account the velocity of the mallet and its trajectory, by all means, he should be sailing through Tokyo airspace by now. Or at least trying to get out of a Ranma-shaped hole in the pavement. Ryoko stepped from the sidelines, sending the mallet back towards Akane with a flick of his wrist. The fan he had used to block the mallet casually vanished back into his sleeve.

"First of all, it is rude to address guests like that. Second, it is rude in general to address people like that. Third, it is not nice to hit people who haven't done anything. And fourth…you have no authority over us, so don't tell us what or what not to do." The martial artist presented this in a matter-of-fact tone that was almost pleasant. Almost. Even Nabiki shivered at the underlying tone of ice, and hoped this man wouldn't ever address her like that. As he turned his back on her to look at the rest of the group, he didn't see the red battle aura bursting up around the youngest Tendo daughter. When she lashed out with her mallet again, Nodoka and Kasumi gasped in shock, while Setsuna, Urd and Happosai – who was still there – had a look of smug satisfaction on their faces.

Akane growled in anger as she swung her mallet. She had that little pervert now, with his back turned to her, he would have no chance of evading her righteous fury. Her eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets when Ryoko casually deflected her mallet with his fan. She lunged to begin another swing, and again he blocked without turning around to look, his right hand holding the fan, casually swinging it over his shoulder. Finally, the martial artist turned around. "It is also rude to hit people with their backs turned. That is also very dishonorable and cowardly," he stated pleasantly. When Akane took another swing at him, he lightly tapped her on her chest with his fan, instinctively finding the area between her ribs, striking her right in the solar plexus. The blow sent Akane sailing down the street. In a flash, Soun and Genma were on top of him, the former yelling and crying up a river, while the other tried to heave up Ryoko by his collar and was currently failing miserably. Which was quite an accomplishment, considering the giant panda weighed about three times as much as the man he was trying to lift up.

Ryoko sent a quick look towards Happosai. "What is this, Musabetsu Kakuto Tendo-Ryu Ultimate Technique: Drowning the enemy in tears or somethin'?" Turning his attention to the giant panda tugging at his collar, he noted, "and Saotome School Special Attack: Child's tug? Happosai, I thought you'd have made more out of our school than what those two fools are demonstrating. Ranma's the only one here who shows any promise. These two don't even count." The tiny, ancient grandmaster shook his head as he indicated Soun and Genma. "I concur. I, too, am disappointed in the two of them. But what should I do," he shrugged, "they blew up a cave right on top of my head and ran wild for a a decade and a half." Everyone stared in shock as the two talked, seemingly so familiar – also, Happosai was remaining completely serious. That is, until Akane came back at a run. "I challenge you!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. "I, Tendo Akane, Master of the Tendo School of Anything Goes, challenge you!"

Ryoko arched an eyebrow at Happosai, not even bothering to turn around. "Did you grant her mastery?" "Nope." Ryoko glanced at Genma and Soun as he dislodged them from himself. "Did you grant her mastery?" The two men violently shook their heads under his withering glare. "In that case, I won't accept your challenge. Go and learn to control your anger before you challenge someone, child." Shooting another look at Happosai, he added, "if I were you, I'd kick her out of the school. She doesn't have the nessecary control or devotion for the Art." Before he could say anything more, his hand caught a punch that would have shattered concrete, and flipped Akane over his leg without seemingly noticing – or with him looking.

"You're not only a pervert, you're also a coward!" the downed Tendo daughter yelled as red began to creep into her vision. "Akane…maybe it would be better to back off now…you're in way over your head," Kasumi cautioned. "I'm a martial artist, too! I'm the best! I won't let some boy beat me!" Akane glared at Urd and Setsuna, her red battle aura reaching impressive sizes as it flickered in a two meter tall flame of ki. "Go and run to your hussies there, if you don't want to fight."

Silence reigned. For a few moments, it was totally still, then a distinct snap could be heard. Ryoko turned towards Akane. "No one insults my friend and sister and gets away with it," he whispered. Everyone took an involuntary step back at the icyness in his tone, and another as a silvery-blue battle aura exploded from him, raging uncontrollably to sizes only Happosai and Cologne could match – barely. Akane gulped, thinking she might really be in over her head this time, but her pride quickly took over even as Ryoko reigned in his battle aura until it was a mere silver glow around his body and a silver fire burning in his garnet eyes.

"I, Meiou Ryoko, of the Mugen Tenketsu Shiranui-Ryu, accept your challenge." He stood in a neutral stance, waiting for her to come. And come she did, charging at him with a savage yell. With her arms cocked back for punches, Ryoko found it pretty easy to dodge the attacks that were coming his way. He kept dodging, until Akane launched into a crescent kick that threw her off-balance. Slipping past her, Ryoko slammed the back of his right hand into the small of her back, launching her forward into the ground face-first. Getting back up, Akane seized up the man before her and shot out one last taunt. "You're not even a master of your school."

Happosai averted his eyes, scrunching them up in a funny grimace. "Ooh, she's so gonna get it now." On a closer look, he was grinning like a maniac. Kasumi was standing there, a passive look on her face. She knew Akane had it coming for a long time now. Nabiki was staring wide-eyed. As Akane charged, Ryoko blurred and vanished. The girl was seemingly lifted into the air and buffeted around by the man everyone knew to be there, but couldn't see. Ryoko re-appeared in the air, right above her, yelling, "_Munashii Raishuu_," slamming palm strikes into the exact same spot at speeds that made the Amaguri-Ken pale in comparison. Shortly before they impacted the ground, Ryoko kicked off, leaping into the air again. He slashed his twin fans as Akane slammed into the ground in a crater, creating two parallel gashes deep into the ground right next to her. "Challenge me again, child, and I won't miss."

As he got up from his crouching position, Nabiki managed to snap out of her stupor. "Who the hell is that guy?" Ranma grinned. "That is the guy who kicks my butt around the training floor six falls out of ten." Her eyes nearly bugged out. _Ranma admitting that someone's better than he is? And smiling at that?_ Her attention refocused on Ryoko as Happosai bounced towards him. "Nice work, Ryoko," the diminuitive master chirped as he bounced up and gave Ryoko a high-five. "Thanks, Happi. So, how's it, Ranma, let's go inside. You had something to discuss with the Tendos." Nabiki's brain shut down and went to autopilot as she took in the scene before her.

Before Ryoko could move from his spot, however, a demon head Soun appeared almost right in his face. "How dare you hurt my baby girl!" Genma-panda was holding up a sign threateningly. It read, "How dare you do that to Akane!" With a sigh, Ryoko bonked them both over the head and started moving inside. Happosai followed him, snickering at the two downed men. "Morons, you don't know when to quit, do you?"

_V----------------------------------------V_

After everyone was settled and tea had been poured, Nabiki spoke first. "So, Meiou-san, who exactly are you? And, you seem to know Jii-san here quite well." "I've never heard of the Mugen Tenketsu style before," Ranma added. "And I've seen a lot of weird styles. Although it did remind me a bit of Anything-Goes." Ryoko chuckled and glanced over at Happosai, who was bouncing up on the table. "Well, you see here, Meiou Ryoko is the co-founder of the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu. We ran into each other shortly after my visit to the amazon village. Half the techniques and most of the sealed moves you can thank him for."

"But…but…that means you…over…three hundred years old," Nodoka spluttered. Ryoko grinned. "Yeah. Actually, I'm currently 324 years old." Exchanging a glance with Happosai, both grinned once more. "As to why I don't look like Happi here…long story. Boring one, too." Nabiki managed to regain her wits. "So, why don't you practice Anything Goes? And why aren't you one of the grandmasters?" Suddenly, the bright light in Ryoko's red eyes dimmed somewhat, and she knew she hit a sore spot. "I left the school. Five years after we founded it, because I disagreed with one of the masters back then. The fool demanded that I step down from grandmastery because I wouldn't teach him the sealed techniques." "For a good reason," Happosai added.

"Yeah, some of these techniques have enough punch to blow up a sizeable chunk out of this planet. And he was very much like Akane here. All ego and confidence, full of rage, and no self-control. Back then Anything Goes was pretty much the elite style, there were few that could hope to beat it, including amazon Wu-Shu and the Shaolin animal styles. Most students grew confident and lax. So, I left," Ryoko shrugged at the assortment of gasps and gapes across the table. No one thought that the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu had that kind of powerful attacks. He nodded his thanks as Kasumi refilled his cup of tea. "It was about then I found my sister. That's another story. But I made up a new style, the Mugen Tenketsu. It was weird, developing it, because some of the katas and attacks are definitely intended for women. Some even involve wearing a formal kimono," he chuckled. "As to why you've never heard of my style, that's simple to answer. I didn't make a fuss out of it, and there were only three people that ever seriously practiced it."

Glancing at his sister, Ryoko noted her encouraging smile and continued. "Me, my sister Setsuna here, and…my daughter." _Damn, dredging up those memories hurts, even after almost a hundred years._ "Shiranui Mai. She refined the school further, and in her honor I've kept her family name. She wasn't a particularly famous fighter in the Meiji era, but developed the fighting style for twin fans and umbrella – she said she wanted to use them to take revenge on the Hitokiri Battousai for killing her best friend, Yukishiro Tomoe. She was killed by the Hitokiri." People across the table nodded as they recognized the name. Ryoko sighed before he added, "The sad thing was that she had drowned so deep in her sadness and hatred that she lived only for revenge." Happosai directed a glare at Akane. "So, Akane, you were right. He's not a master, he's the grandmaster of his school. Not to mention grandmaster of your own school. And I agree with his judgement. Unless you learn to control you temper, I forbid you from using the Anything Goes style of martial arts."


	6. Chapter Six: Apprenticeship and Mastery

Author's Rants: Ok, I usually don't do these, since they tend to distract you guys from reading the actual story (or maybe that just why I'm putting this here, hehe) couple notes on the reviews:

First and foremost, thank you all for your reviews, compliments and critics alike! Some comments made me rethink my plot a couple times and tweak it here and there, (and dogbertcarrol, I thought about changing Ryoko's name, since I first picked it because it also means "wanderer", but as you pointed out has a female connotation, but decided to keep it since I'm too far into the story already, so sorry about that), and adjust my powerlevels a bit. For your information, I'm putting Ryoko's power level and skill somewhere between Happosai/Cologne and Herb. He does have a couple hundred years of fighting experience and ki reserves on Ranma, after all. Ranma does have an advantage in aerial combat, though, while Ryoko holds the upper hand in ground combat.

Second, Ranma is going to try and get stronger – but the way I (and hopefully, you) see it, Ranma respects him for his skill as a martial artist and a person, which is a pretty rare thing, considering the people around Ranma (face it, I don't really think he respects Genma or Soun...), which means he isn't going to go around taunting him or goading him into a fight like he does Genma/Ryoga/Mousse/Kuno.

Also, the first (introductory) arc is coming to an end, which means the story will be a lot more Ranma-centric now that I got the introductions done. Ranma will get stronger, he will get more powerful, and I haven't decided yet if he will end up with Kasumi. Given, it started out as a Ranma/Kasumi pairing, but I'm not too sure anymore (given the facts that I diverged from the canon, Tofu's still in Nerima and Ranma continued to hide his curse from his mother until after Saffron). I'm not too sure who I should pair him with, and am open for suggestions/reasons why or why not she should end up with a specific girl.

Again, I apologize if the story centered around Ryoko a lot in the first 5 chapters, but he will be pretty important later on in the story, so please bear with me (only if you like my writing, though). I promise he won't be making too many appereances for the next...uh...couple chapters. All Ranma there!

For those of you wondering why I have so many fight scenes in my chapters...well, I tried to retain the original humor and gist of Ranma ½. As a friend pointed out, it is mainly a martial arts story, and I haven't seen a volume or episode go by without at least one major fight and a major laugh. I seriously hope I did a good job. If not, please let me know and I'll do my best to curb my – as I've been told – rather odd sense of humor.

And last, but not least, I apologize for making you guys wait for the next chapter. I've been really, really busy with school, and classes are getting more difficult now...ask any engineer, he'll tell you that vector dynamics and multivar calc ain't fun. Also, I've started drawing up fanart for it, and, my, it's kept me really busy. Hell, I haven't even managed to scan all of the pics and throw them up on my website yet.

Oh well, that turned out to be rather long. Hope I didn't scare you off the fic, hehe. On with it!

Chapter Six: Apprenticeship and Mastery

"Ranma, we need to talk." Said pig-tailed martial artist turned around to find Happosai behind him on the roof. "What do you want, old man?" Ranma returned his attention to the night sky. Happosai sat down next to him, taking out his pipe and igniting it with a flash of ki. "I wanted to talk to you about your training. I've been looking for a heir for a long time, and you're the only one with potential for it. Heck," Happosai let loose a gurgling laugh. "You're probably one of the best and brightest students this school ever had." The ancient martial artist looked at his pipe intently, almost as if trying to hypnotize it.

"Ranma, since I've come here I've watched you grow, both as a martial artist and a person. You were the only person who would stop my panty raids. I saw you master new techniques at incredible speeds, and I was stunned as you refined them into something new. You beat the odds more times than I can count, defeating superior or more experienced opponents, all for the sake of guarding those you hold dear. You, your skill, and your personality have earned my respect…and Ryoko's. And believe me, he's not one to be impressed easily," Happosai finally told him. Something clicked in Ranma's mind. "Wait, you mean all your panty raids were only a test?"

"Nope, not at all," Happosai giggled, a sound that was definitely creepy, Ranma decided. Right up there next to Kodachi's insane laugh. "I do draw energy from panties and nice, beautiful ladies. But it has a nice side-effect, doesn't it?" Groaning, Ranma shook his head, smiling despite himself. He was still trying to cope with the fact that Happosai was acting serious and non-perverted. "So, what are you getting at, Happosai?"

The diminuitive man puffed out a cloud of smoke in form of a pair of panties before answering. "Well, Ranma, I give you an official mission. I charge you with mastering the Neko-Ken. Then I will name you my heir and teach you the full Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu. In other words, I'll make you the grandmaster." Ranma didn't turn to look at the ancient master of Anything Goes. "It will take time," he finally said, dead serious. "This is not something I can achieve overnight. Maybe ever. Are you willing to bet your entire school on the one person who may never turn out to be the heir you wanted?"

Happosai grinned as Ranma finally turned around and looked at him. "Oh, you're already all I could hope for in a heir, and more. You have one of the most distinctive senses of honor I've ever come across. I trust you with the continuation of my school, Ranma. You'll master the Neko-Ken. I know it." Happosai vanished from sight, leaving a contemplative Ranma behind on the roof. No one but the twinkling stars witnessed the small smile that played around the pig-tailed youth's mouth.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Dawn the next day found one Saotome Genma yelling for his son to begin their morning sparring. The Saotome heir hadn't been in his futon, though, and no matter where Genma looked, he couldn't spot Ranma. That is, until he looked out of the window and was treated to the sight of two blurring forms fighting over the koi pond, seemingly hovering over the water longer than gravity should allow them. With a final exchange of blows, Ranma and Ryoko separated, the former bowing to the latter before heading inside for breakfast.

"Ranma! Boy, you've been slacking off in your training!" Genma leapt out of the window, completely missing the conspirational grin Ranma and Ryoko shared. A flying kick intercepted the balding man in mid-air and sent him careening into the koi pond. A sputtering panda emerged, holding up a sign, "That wasn't nice!" The panda leapt out and towards Ranma, who casually booted his father-turned-panda back into the water. "Yo, Oyaji. I've already had my morning spar, and I'm gonna go eat breakfast. You better hurry, or there won't be anything left for ya."

"When will you be returning to Juuban, Ranma?" Nodoka asked her son while sitting at the table. "So, you've been staying in Juuban, eh, Saotome?" Nabiki smirked. This information was going to be worth a lot. Especially since she could narrow down the locations he could hide in in Juuban. The Saotome home was the only place she knew of that Ranma knew. Yen signs started swirling before her eyes until she realized she was daydreaming and snapped back to reality. "Not soon, Mom. I'm going on a training trip." Before Nodoka could say anything, Ranma held up a hand, indicating he had more to say. "Happosai-sensei, Ryoko-sensei, you had something to say?"

Ryoko nodded and gestured towards Happosai. "We decided to name Saotome Ranma, son of Saotome Genma and Akagi Nodoka, the official heir to the full Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu. All strings attached and with all duties and obligations. He will be named the offical, and only, Grandmaster of this school upon completion of the following task: Gaining control and mastering the technique known as the Neko-Ken." The ancient martial artist grinned at the pig-tailed boy. "Just hurry up, Ranma, I want to enjoy my retirement!"

Ryoko chuckled, before picking up where Happosai had left off. "Meet me for one final sparring session behind at the athlethics field behind Furinkan High after school today. Anyway, that was about all we had to say, wasn't it? Oh, yeah, Nabiki. You might not want to take bets. It'll be a full-out battle, so even I'm not too sure who's going to win." Setsuna shot the pig-tailed martial artist a smile. "I'll take care of your absence at Juuban High while you're gone, so don't worry about that. Although you'd have to get some tutoring done after you return." The Senshi of Pluto giggled slightly at Ranma's groan.

Nodoka hugged her son to herself. "Oh, Ranma, do you have to go?" He nodded and turned around to face his mother as best as he could in her embrace. "Yeah, Mom. But I'll be back in a year, tops. No more ten-year training trips. I'll send ya postcards, too, I promise." Soun was wailing, Akane was seething – after all, not only had she **not** been named the heir to grandmastery, but she had also been forbidden from using her martial arts. Genma choose that moment to barge into the room. "Boy! You will not go on any such foolish trip! You will stay here and marry Akane, like honor demands!"

He glanced around in confusion as no one seemed to be even listening to him. Soun was still caught up in his crying, Akane was still seething, Ryoko and Happosai were discussing **women**, of all things, with the occassional comment from Urd, Ranma and Nodoka were talking about packing for this trip, and Nabiki was zoned out of a sorts. Kasumi was her usual, cheerful, oblivious self. "Boy!" Seeing his retirement in danger – after all, if Ranma were to become the grandmaster, he wouldn't need to marry a Tendo daughter to merge the schools – gave him newfound strength as he bellowed as loudly as he could. "I won't allow you to go on this trip unless you marry Akane first and take her with you!"

That earned him a glare from Nodoka and Ranma, and deadly stares from both grandmasters present. "You would dare to deny him his mastery quest and force him into marriage against his wishes? You would dare to defy the mastery quest by demanding Akane accompany him?" Ryoko's tone was low, and the coldness emanating from his voice sent shivers down the spines of those present. "You have nothing to say on matters of honor, Saotome Genma. It is Ranma's choice to marry Akane or not. It is also Ranma's choice to go on this quest, and if you try to deny him these rights, you'll be putting up with me. Is that clear?"

Genma glanced from Happosai – who had a thoroughly disgusted look on his face – to Ryoko, whose red eyes seemed to glow with an inner fire, his battle aura hovering just outside of the visible spectrum. "Also, the schools won't have been joined, even if Ranma marries Akane. She is banned from using the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu, remember?" Happosai chimed in. Urd grinned evilly and let lightning crackle across her arms as she inched towards Ryoko. "Count me in, too. I've always wanted to try out panda steak. And Bell would **love** having a panda rug for the fireplace."

Genma paled at the sea of opposing stares and whimpered, falling onto his behind. "Glad you see it our way," Ryoko grinned, before leaning in towards Urd and whispering, "I thought the temple didn't have a fireplace?" "Yeah, but he doesn't have to know **that**," Urd shot back.

_V----------------------------------------V _

People were streaming out of the buildings of Furinkan High School, glad the daily classes were finally over. However, this time, instead of heading straight home, most headed towards the athlethics field behind the school, following the rumor that Ranma was back and in a big fight. The afternoon sun bore down on the field as the crowd formed a ring around the two combatants. Ukyo was the first out of the building and at the fields, where she saw that, indeed, the rumors were true. Her heart leapt into her throat and she had to suppress the urge to run out and hug Ranma. She also noticed the other man standing across from the pig-tailed boy, and the Tendo family sitting up on one of the benches surrounding the field. Fear shot through the okonomiyaki chef as she wondered what this fight could be about, since most – if not all – of Ranma's fights were caused by one of two things; either he had knowingly or unknowingly offended someone, or someone was trying to kidnap Akane.

That was when the man facing Ranma spoke up. "Ready for the last match, Ranma?" His friendly smile and the relaxed atmosphere between the two made Ukyo wonder whether this really was a fight to the death. "Heh, bring it on, Ryoko," Ranma shot back. The Tendos noticed her and waved her over. She moved to join them. She'd have time to welcome Ranma back later.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ryoko arched an eyebrow as he noticed the crowd they had drawn. He also noticed Nabiki was taking bets. Oh well, if she didn't heed his advice, she'd be in for a surprise. He returned his attention to Ranma, who stood facing him across the field. "Ready?" The pig-tailed youth nodded and bowed. Ryoko returned the bow, before Urd chopped her hand down, announcing, "Begin!"

The two fighters blurred into action.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Nabiki rubbed her hands and mentally counted the profits of this fight. With the odds set as they were, and most people betting on Ranma to win – after all, the pig-tailed boy never lost, as he himself said often enough – she'd be making a fortune. She returned her attention to running her business, completely ignoring the fight that was occuring.

Next to her sat Happosai, Genma and Nodoka, Setsuna, Ukyo, Soun, Akane and Kasumi, drawn out of curiosity over how this fight would end. "So, when did Ranchan get back, and who's he fighting this time?" Ukyo asked as she settled herself between Nodoka and Kasumi. "Ranma-kun just returned yesterday afternoon with his mother and his friends," Kasumi said, smiling at the chef. "Friends?" Ukyo arched an eyebrow, for the first time noticing both the long white-haired exotic woman who was down below acting as a referee, and the green-haired lady at the edge of the bench. "More fiancees?" That drew a giggle from Kasumi, a sound Ukyo found a little odd, since she rarely heard the eldest Tendo daughter laugh, but she decided it fit Kasumi.

"Oh my, no! Ryoko-kun housed Ranma while he was staying in Juuban. It turned out he was a martial artist, as well, one of the founders of Anything-Goes, even!" Ukyo stared at the older woman. Was that a trace of excitement she detected in her voice? "He asked Ranma to spar with him for one last time before Ranma-kun left on his mastery quest." Kasumi continued her explanation. "Mastery quest? Founder of Anything Goes?" Kasumi quickly gestured towards the field, indicating that the fight was about to begin.

Genma and Ukyo gaped as they saw Ryoko blurring, then vanishing at times. Their jaws dropped further, when they witnessed Ranma match him pace for pace. The speed of the fighters picked up until even to the most trained eye the only visible trace were blurs of color. With a yell of "_Kachuu Tenchin Amaguri-Ken_!" the blur that was Ranma reappeared, his arms barely visible as he launched a barrage of near-sonic speed punches.

After he stopped punching air, Ryoko slowed down as well, reappearing solidly fifteen feet before him. "Amazon tenchniques, huh? Pretty good, but you'll have to work on your speed," he commented, a small smile on his face. Ukyo's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "He's saying Ranchan's Amaguri-Ken is **slow**?" Akane still wasn't paying attention, muttering under her breath about how unfair it was that she had to come and watch the jerk show off when a series of booms cracked through the air, drawing everyone's attention to the battle in the makeshift arena below.

"_Kachuu Tenchin Amaguri-Ken_!" Ryoko yelled as he stood his ground, punching the air fast enough to break the sound barrier. Fourteen hundred sonic booms later – seven hundred punches, breaking the sound barrier either way – the ground between Ryoko and Ranma was torn up and devastated, the destruction continuing well beyond Ranma, the latter standing with arms crossed taking the brunt of the air pressure alone. Ryoko grinned as he said, "You'd be surprised how much ki you can build up in 300 years."

Genma and Nodoka sat speechless at the destruction that had just been caused by sheer air pressure, Akane's jaw was on the ground, her muscles twitching in a futile effort to close her mouth, and Ukyo removed her hands from her ears. Kasumi summed up their sentiments in her usual accurate way. "Oh, my."

_V----------------------------------------V _

The Neko-Hanten was nearly empty, which, in itself, was not that strange. What made it strange was the fact that it was in the middle of the business week and school had just let out. Which meant hordes of hungry students and teachers should have flooded the restaurant for lunch/afternoon rush. Cologne, elder of the Joketzusoku Amazon tribe, tossed a bowl of Ramen noodles out into the dining area. "Table four, order ready," she shouted. She was just about to avert her eyes from the flying bowl when it developed a crack in mid-air, nearly splitting in half when Shampoo caught it.

And then, fourteen hundred ridiculously loud bangs echoed through town. "Aiya! Great-grandmother, what that?" Cologne nearly fell off her staff at the noise. Once she had sufficiently regained her composure, she shook her head to clear it. "If I didn't know any better, I would say that was something breaking the sound barrier. Come on, Shampoo, let's go over and have a look." The two amazons left the restaurant in Mousse's care, heading for Furinkan High, feeling the ki radiating from the school.

_V----------------------------------------V _

Ranma stood speechless for a moment as the fourteen hundred booms cracked around him, before shaking off his awe and charging at his opponent with a flying kick. Ryoko easily turned it aside, and Ranma dodged the return blow, kicking off from Ryoko's shoulder and launching high into the air. The older man grinned and leapt up to meet Ranma. What he wasn't prepared for, however, was the pig-tailed martial artist stopping a palm-strike just moments before Ryoko would have blocked it.

"_Môkô Takabisha_!" The ki blast slammed the older fighter back towards the ground, drawing cheers from the audience. Before the dust had settled, Ryoko leapt back out of the impact crater, twirling a fan in his left hand. The two met in a flurry of blows in mid-air, continuing all the way down until they hit ground again. As soon as his foot touched the ground, Ranma sprung back, vanishing from sight. Ryoko glanced around, extending his ki; he frowned when he couldn't detect his pig-tailed opponent visually or by his ki signature.

With a grin, Ryoko faded out of sight, as well.

_V----------------------------------------V_

When Ranma vanished from sight Genma jumped up, roaring, "Boy! The sealed techniques were sealed for a reason! You are not allowed to use them!" He blinked and did a double take when Ryoko vanished, and the only evidence of ongoing battle were the sounds of flesh meeting flesh as strikes were blocked or taken. Suddenly, out of nowhere, came a flying bucket of water, drenching Genma and turning him into a panda. "Shut up, oyaji," Ranma's disembodied voice called out.

Moments later, the blunt end of a mace struck the panda, knocking him out. Ryoko's laugh followed. "Never interrupt a fight, Saotome!" "Hey, Ryoko?" Ranma's voice came again. "Yeah?" "Where do you keep all that stuff? You could give Mousse a run for his money," Ranma laughed as the two casually talked during their fight. Nodoka spared a single glance for her fallen husband before returning her attention to the battlefield – although there wasn't much to see at the moment.

Kasumi was giggling at the antics of the two martial artists while Ukyo was shaking her head. She wasn't even going to bother gaping anymore – her jaw already hurt from the many times it had hit the ground during this fight alone. _Leave it to Ranchan to make small-talk during a fight. Of course, this Ryoko is equally crazy._ The two fighters reappeared on opposite sides of the field, just as a loud "Airen!" from the side of the field drew everyone's attention. Cologne and Shampoo stood there, watching the fight before them intently. Ukyo waved them over.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma eyed his opponent suspiciously, before running forward. With an exchange of kicks and punches, the two met in the center of the field. Ranma slowly began circling Ryoko while cutting down his own attacks. Just before they reached the center of the spiral, Ryoko refused to move the last step, holding his ground. "Not gonna work this time," he said. Ranma countered with a smirk. "I don't need the spiral," he said, barely loud enough for his opponent to hear. "_Hiryuu Shôten Ha_!" The pig-tailed martial artist uppercutted the air in front of him, causing a small tornado to explode upwards, with him in the center. It was true, ever since he had seen Ryoko perform a similar technique, Ranma had been experimenting with extending his ki, and working with different temperature ki at the same time. If one managed to project both hot and cold ki, and mix and twist them in a spiral, the spiral steps of the _Hiryuu Shôten Ha_ became obsolete.

Ryoko returned his grin even as he was carried up into the air. "You need to work on your control of the technique. You didn't mix your hot and cold ki enough. _Fukyuu Ryujin-Dan_!" Opening his twin fans, he twisted in mid air, spinning his body around, fans extended. The tornado that burst from his position in mid-air clashed with Ranma's, until a dragon-shaped ki blast exploded from the ground beneath both of them, hurling Ranma into the air, as well. Just as quickly as they had been created, both tornados faded, dropping both martial artists towards the ground as they dissipated their auras.

Ranma was barely touching the ground when he focused his ki. "_Môkô Takabisha_!" The ki blast blew up the ground where Ryoko had landed a second ago, and Ranma flipped out of the way of a return ki blast. Backflipping all the way to the edge of the field, he raised his hands and spread them out in front of his chest before collecting as much ki as he could hold. "_Môkô Takabisha_!" he shouted again, firing off the largest ki blast he could manage at the still recovering Ryoko. The resulting explosion kicked up dust and dirt around the impact zone, obscuring the view for several minutes. Ranma started to grow concerned. _Man, I hope I didn't injure him too badly. This was supposed to be a friendly spar, not a life-or-death fight._

Finally, the dust cleared, and revealed Ryoko, standing at the edge of a seven meter wide crater, created by one of the most powerful ki blasts ever thrown in Nerima, short of Ryoga's ultimate_ Shishi Hôkôdan_. A shimmering golden layer of ki floated in front of Ryoko's outstretched hands, fading as the martial artist straightened up and gave a cocky grin. "You'll have to hit harder than that, Ranma." The pig-tailed martial artist grinned and leapt towards the other man in a flying kick. Ryoko dodged and dropped over backwards, landing on his back and kicked off, sending Ranma flying into the air.

Ranma's eyes widened as his breath exploded from him and he was propelled upwards. _I should have expected that, _he thought as he reoriented himself and landed lightly on his feet. He was preparing to charge Ryoko again when the older man bowed and grinned. "A good fight. Thank you, Ranma." Ranma returned the bow and grinned as they closed the distance. "You were gonna loose," he chuckled. His opponent just smirked. "Nope. Haven't even started using my special techniques yet. But…I thought it might be nice to put Nabiki off guard." The two shared a bout of laughter as they headed off the field.

Nabiki's jaw was hanging open as she watched the end of the fight. Her brain shut down as she calculated the losses of the day, and she felt like fainting. That, however, wouldn't do her reputation as the "Ice Queen" any good, so she settled for glaring at the two martial artists as they merrily climbed up the stairs. Meanwhile, Cologne and Shampoo had made their way over from the gates of the athlethics field.

Ranma and Ryoko stopped and looked up at the assembled group. "You're back." Ukyo noted neutrally. Then she went up to Ranma and, in one smooth motion, drew her battle spatula and banged him over the head. "That's for worrying me to death and not even calling," she began, before engulfing him in a hug that would have done an amazon proud. "And that is for coming back."

Shampoo, of course, wasn't about to be outdone, so she clamped down on Ranma from behind. Ryoko and Cologne snickered as the pig-tailed martial artist futilely attempted to remove himself from his current predicament, sandwiched as he was between the two girls. Happosai was rolling on the floor in laughter, while Kasumi and Nodoka hid their smiles behind their hands. Soun was rambling and wailing, but no one paid him any attention.

"Great-granddaughter, Ukyo-san, I think that you should let go of son-in-law, if you ever want to hear an explanation." The elder amazon chuckled. Then she turned her attention to the young man flanking Ranma. "And who might you be, young one?"

Ryoko shot her an amused look. "Meiou Ryoko, at your service, elder Khu Lon, matriarch of the Joketsuzoku amazons." He offered her a small bow before winking at her stunned expression. Cologne carefully schooled her expression back to neutral. "I see you have heard of our tribe," she noted. "You must be a skilled fighter, if you go up against son-in-law and managed to hold your ground." Ryoko laughed as he pried Ukyo and Shampoo off his pig-tailed friend. "I like to think I am." He casually deflected a ki-powered hammer from Akane, before returning his attention to Cologne. "But if you want the full story, we'll have to save your 'son-in-law' from your great-granddaughter first."

Ukyo and Shampoo sheepishly disengaged themselves from a bright red Ranma and moved to stand with Ryoko and Cologne.

_V----------------------------------------V_

"So Ranma is about to go on his mastery quest?" Cologne asked. The Tendos, Saotomes and amazons – minus Akane and Mousse – along with Urd and Setsuna, were seated in the Tendo living room, which, admittedly, was getting crowded. Between Ryoko, Ranma, and Kasumi, they had told the amazons about the events of the previous two weeks, excluding Ryoko's true age and his involvement with Anything-Goes, as well as Urd and Setsuna's hidden identities.

"Let me guess," Ukyo ventured, "he won't if the panda has any say in it." Genma was about to protest, but received a bucket of ice-cold water, courtesy of Kasumi, so all that came out was a loud "growf!" "Oh my," Kasumi said as she stood above him, upended bucket in hand. "I must have slipped." That elicited blinks from everyone around the table.

"So you're going, Ranchan?" Ukyo asked from across him. "Yeah. I've got to." Ranma glanced around the table, his ice-blue eyes emanating a fire that dared anyone to disagree. "Shampoo come with Airen!" The amazon nearly launched herself at the pig-tailed martial artist, but was held back when a staff struck her across the stomach. "Quiet, great-granddaugher! You dishonor a warrior by denying him his quest. No amazon will do that while I'm around," Cologne admonished the girl harshly.

"It sounds dangerous, especially if it involves the Neko-Ken," Ukyo mused. "But…if it is what you want, I won't stop you. Just promise to call and write?" The okonomiyaki chef glanced up from where she had been staring at her hands, and Ranma could see the tears glistening in her eyes.

The pig-tailed martial artist rose from where he sat and deftly caught the backpack thrown at him by Ryoko. "You quest begins now, Saotome Ranma of the Saotome School of Anything-Goes. Good luck." Ryoko and Happosai turned serious.

"Ranma." Cologne called. Surprised at actually hearing her refer to him by his name, said pig-tailed martial artist turned around. "What is it, Cologne?" The Amazon matriarch bowed. Low. Everyone in the room gasped in shock when she stood fully erect from the bow again, and began to speak. "Shampoo accidentally spiced up the ramen we sent you two weeks ago with redwood seed. It was completely unintentional, and the seed makes the victim loose most of its inhibitions concerning violence and aggression. I seek your forgiveness for the damage and pain we have caused you." She didn't need to say she fully believed this was wwhat had caused Akane's rather violent outburst on that night.

Ranma could just stare. "You're...you're apologizing?" Cologne nodded. "It was always about you, Ranma. We never intended for others to get caught up in this or cause as much emotional harm as we have this time." The pig-tailed youth sighed. "It's all right. Looks like the stuff's still somewhat in effect, though. There an antidote?" Cologne nodded and produced a small vial, handing it to Kasumi, instructing her on how to apply it to her youngest sister.

Then Ranma turned around. Slinging the pack over his right shoulder, he walked out the door of the Tendo home. He paused on the doorstep and turned back, his clear blue eyes boring into Ukyo, Kasumi, and Nodoka in turn. And in this instant, all three women realized, with absolute clarity, that he loved the three of them, and that he loved his Art as well. They knew, without a doubt, that this was something he had to do. There would be no stopping Saotome Ranma.

"Ucchan…Kasumi…Mom…Thanks." And then, Ranma was gone.

Suddenly, with a deafening crash, the rear wall broke down and Ryoga walked through, umbrella drawn and at the ready. "**RANMA! Prepare to die!**" When no one answered his battlecry, he looked around in confusion. "Huh? Where did that coward go?" His eyes settled on Ryoko. "Hey! I remember you!" Ryoko nodded, pulled a piece of paper out of seemingly nowhere, and handed it to the lost boy.

"What is this?" Ryoga glanced down at the slip of paper in his hand. "It's the bill for wrecking my outer wall," Ryoko began. Before the lost boy could comment, Ryoko nailed him with a flip kick that sent Ryoga crashing through the roof and high into the air.

Akane chose that moment to come walking down the stairs. "Did I miss something?" she asked, shooting a bewildered look at her sisters. When no one seemed inclined to answer her, she shrugged and walked into the kitchen.

Ryoga came crashing down through the roof through the exact hole he'd made during his exit. Akane stuck her head out of the kitchen and said, "Hello Ryoga. Has Ranma been picking on you again?"

Everyone – minus Genma and Soun – stared at the youngest Tendo daughter in wonderment and shock.

"What?" Akane asked.

END of Arc One: Martial Artists, Goddesses, Sailor Senshi and Demons


	7. Chapter Seven: A Sword in the Sky

Arc Two: Mastery

Chapter Seven: A Sword in the Sky

The streets of Tokyo were bustling with activity at this time of the day, and Saotome Ranma strolled through the streets, enjoying the fact that, for a change, no one seemed out to marry him or kill him. In this part of Tokyo, no one even seemed to know him, and he was very grateful for that. He was free…free of all his obligations, free of all his duties, free of his glutton of a father. And he thoroughly enjoyed that freedom. Taking his time to do something he hadn't done for a long time, watching other people, he slowly worked his way towards the outskirts of the city.

That was when a small store caught his eye, one that didn't fit in with the surrounding electronics stores and shopping centers. Wondering why this particular shop had drawn his attention, the pig-tailed martial artist headed over.

It was an antiques store, holding dozens of family heirlooms, knicknacks and the occasional piece of art or jewelry. A tiny bell hung over the door chimed as he stepped over the threshold and looked around. In a corner of the room, on a dull black display stand, rested the distinct curved shape of a katana, sheathed in a dull black sheath that seemed to draw him towards it. Ranma stood before the weapon, not taking his eyes off it, engrossed in the sheer calm it radiated. "An interesting piece of work, eh?" The new voice broke him out of his reverie. "Huh?" Ranma replied intelligently. The owner of the store was an elderly man, around his eighties, Ranma surmised, with a shock of white hair and a look of peace on his lined face that seemed to match that of the sword perfectly.

"That sword. It's something special, indeed, isn't it?" He smiled slightly as Ranma nodded. "You're a martial artist. You can feel what's special about it, can't you?" The youth nodded once again. "It seems…calm. Content. It's not like any sword I've ever seen," he finally said, after thinking about it. _What is it about this sword?_ Ranma wondered idly. "That is, because this sword has never taken a life, yet been used to protect the people. Go on, pick it up."

Ranma did as he was told, and slowly, almost reverently, picked up the sheathed weapon. One hand firmly on the hilt, he slowly drew out a part of the blade, and noticed the many nicks and scratches it had accumulated. And despite the fact that it seemed to have seen much use during its past, it gleamed even in the dull gloom of the store, polished to perfection. Then Ranma noticed another thing. The blade of the sword as on the wrong side.

"What is this?" He turned to the storekeeper. "The blade's wrong."

The older man chuckled. "That is because it is a Sakabatou." "A reverse blade?" It dawned upon Ranma what the man had meant when he had said that this blade had never taken a life. With a sword like this, it was nearly impossible to kill. Then there was the distinct aura of ki around it that he couldn't quite make sense of. "Old man?" he asked in a low voice that, surprisingly, didn't sound the least bit disrespectful. "Yes, young one?"

"What is it about this sword?"

The storekeeper smiled. "It is old. Before the time of the Meiji Era, during the Tokugawa Shogunate, there was a war. And during the Bakumatsu, many were killed who opposed the new government, finally resulting in the new Imperialist government of the Meiji Era. During the fighting there were those men called 'Hitokiri'."

"Assassins?" Ranma whispered. The man nodded. "Yes. Assassins, or manslayers. They fought for their side, killing those who opposed them without mercy or regret. They always worked alone, always in the shadows. They were the best swordsmen of their time. One of them was said to be undefeated, having mastered, no, perfected, the art of Battojutsu, earning himself the name 'Hitokiri Battousai'. This man killed countless people during the war, saving many Imperialist lives with his actions. However, he vanished without a trace at the end of the war." Taking a deep breath, the old man continued. "Years later he was said to have reappeared in Tokyo as a wanderer at a nearby kendo dojo, of the Kamiya Kasshin style. After the war, the murderous assassin, the legendary Hitokiri Battousai, had become rurouni."

_Rurouni. A wandering swordsman without master, going where his feet take him and following only his own code of honor._ Ranma almost smiled at how much that resembled his situation at the moment.

The man took the sword from Ranma's hands and drew it fully. "He traded his sword for a reverse blade, swearing never to take a life again, yet to protect the people around him. This was his sword." Ranma stared at the blade in awe, as the storekeeper added, "His name was Himura Kenshin, and his style, the Hiten Mitsurugi." He replaced the sword on its stand and turned around, leaving Ranma to his thoughts. "Old man?" the youth called out once more.

"Yes?"

"Why did he become rurouni?"

The old man sighed. "It is said that during the end of the war he killed someone whom he cared for deeply, a woman by the name of Yukishiro Tomoe. Before the Bakumatsu, Himura slew her faincee, and she vowed revenge on him. She pretended to be his wife during an incident in Kyoto and followed him to a mountain refuge, where she would have killed him, too, if they hadn't fallen in love with each other. Unfortunately, during the course of an accident, he fatally wounded her with his sword, and she died in his arms. Later, he was forced to slay her best friend, who had become obsessed with revenge, one Shiranui Mai." _Yukishiro Tomoe._ The name flashed through Ranma's head. _That's the girl Ryoko mentioned, and his daughter._ "She was said to have perfected the School of Mugen Tenketsu," the storekeeper added. The boy continued to stare at the sword, even as the storekeeper left him with the words, "The Hiten Mitsurugi and the Mugen Tenketsu are not practiced anymore, having been sealed away because of their deadly nature."

_A wanderer to protect the people around him, eh?_ Ranma mused. _This sword…it's so tranquil…Isn't that what I'm doing? Isn't that a martial artist's duty? To protect the people? Screw Pops, if he says weapons are for weaklings. This Himura guy…_Ranma grinned. _I wish I could have met him._

Half an hour later, he walked out of the store, the sakabatou at his side.

_V----------------------------------------V _

Not a sound was heard deep in the woods, except for a slight hiss as the metal blade of a sword flashed through the air. Ranma whirled around, the blade of the sakabatou twitching and turning, flicking from defensive stances to striking invisible foes with deadly accuracy. In a final thrust, Ranma's blurred form solidified, the sword held out at arms length, tip pointed outwards at eye level. The blade was as heavy as any metal katana, yet in his hands it seemed strangely light, and the kata came with ease, as if he had been practicing his whole life.

Sheathing the weapon, the pig-tailed martial artist turned around and stuck the sheath into a makeshift belt. Instinctively, he flowed into a low stance, his right foot forwards, supporting most of his weigth on his bent back leg. His left hand rested on the hilt guard of the sakabatou, his right hand slowly coming up, touching the hilt. The second he touched the grip of the sword, the kata began, a lighting-fast series of strikes, faster than anything Kuno had ever produced, and rivalling the _Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-Ken_ in sheer speed. Panting hard, Ranma came to a stop and returned the blade to its scabbard.

Shaking his head as if to clear it, the pig-tailed martial artist wandered back to his campsite, idly thinking about what had just occurred. _Odd. I've never even trained with swords, much less a katana. So how did I know those moves?_ The answer was simple, he thought. _I didn't. They just came…instinctively. But how?_ He set the sword down and decided to do something he hadn't done in a long time. Meditate.

Settling down into a lotus position, the youth calmed his mind and slowed his breath. He could feel the ki in the forest around him, full of life and activity, the energy literally pouring from every little hole. Stretching his senses further, he noticed a strange ki coming from the sakabatou, and he examined it closer. Zeroing in on the signature the blade gave off, he ignored the sensations around him. The sea of calmness and tranquility was suddenly replaced by flashes of light and visions of swords clashing. Ranma looked around and found himself caught in a vision. Before him stood a young man of mediocre height with flaming red hair nearly the color of his girl-form's and a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. He was dressed in a traditional gi and hakama, with a purplish yukata that seemed to fit him, and carried a sword by his side.

Facing the strange man was a taller man, wearing a sort of old-style police uniform Ranma recognized from the history books as that of a police swordsman of the Meiji Era. Then, the vision started and people around him started to fade into sight. More policemen appeared, as did a crowd around them. A young boy, a girl, and two men were bound and kneeling on the ground, while the crowd around them protested. The police swordsman sneered. "Arrest them all. I authorize the use of swords. Make an example of them." The red-haired man stepped up at this point, and Ranma watched transfixed as the events unfolded before him.

"Wait. You will not harm these people. If you wish to fight, then this one will be your opponent." In a flash, his sword was drawn and ready. Ranma recognized the reverse blade as the light gleamed off the sharpened side of the sword. The people around stopped running, and the police swordsmen froze the instant they heard the distinctive rasp of metal against wood as the sword left its sheath. The tall man grinned cruelly and drew his own weapon. "Now that self-defense has been established…kill him." With a yell, the rest of his squad charged the swordsman, and Ranma prepared for a complete slaughter. He might not have the faintest clue why he was having this vision, but he respected the man's courage. It was totally pointless to go up against the dozen or so armed policemen alone, but it **was** courageous, nonetheless.

Then, his eyes widened as the impossible seemed to happen. The swordsman blurred and vanished, and the police swordsmen were buffeted around in the air, and were taking a severe beating, if the successive impact sounds that reached his ears were any indication. A mere ten seconds later, it was over and the swordsman reappeared from a leap, blade in his left hand, casually resting it in the crook of his arm, yet ready to use it again in an instant. Then, the policemen behind him collapsed. "Now it's only you left. Swear that you will never oppress your people again, and you may arrest this one for carrying a sword and assaulting an officer of the law, and we can end this."

With an enraged roar the leader of the policemen charged at the swordsman, his European-style rapier held chin high, ready for a devastating strike. Ranma barely recognized it as one of the advanced forms of the Kenjutsu Jigen-Ryu. Again, the swordsman amazed his audience by leaping up and kicking off the wall, turning in mid-air and raking the blunt side of his sword across his opponent's back. The policeman collapsed, unconscious, and Ranma realized he must have hit some of the sleep-incuding pressure points on the back. _Incredible…That kind of accuracy with the blunt blade of a sword…_

Then, a new squad of policemen arrived, holding on steady to the swordsman and another woman, as well as the child that had been bound before. "Hold it! You are a fugitive from the law and assailed police swordsmen! You are under arrest!" A voice that commanded respect called out from the back, interrupting the policeman. "Wait. Do you know who you're talking to?" The policeman glanced at the swordsman. "That is Himura Kenshin, the Hitokiri Battousai…" A tall man in a regal looking uniform emerged from behind the crowd as it parted for him. "He saved many an Imperialist's life during the Bakumatsu." Ranma froze. _Himura…Kenshin…_

"Hello Yamagata-san. That's a fine mustache you have there." The swordsman smiled as the policemen let him go. "I've been looking for you these last ten years. I have come to you with an offer. I have a carriage we can discuss it in." The swordsman never lost his smile as he shook his head. "We can discuss it right here." The older man sighed and gave a small smile of his own. "That is so like you to say, Himura. You are a hero, and I have come to offer you a high-ranking position in the government. Together, we could make a difference. Your old comrades from the revolution are waiting for you."

The swordsman just shook his head again. "This one has no wish to join the government." "So you were serious. You leaving without a trace ten years ago was truly an act of defiance to never kill again." Himura just smiled once more as he replied, "This one does not seek political power as a reward for manslaughter, de gozaru." The older man's eyes flashed.

"Himura! It is true that you killed people, but it was for the revolution! There is no guilt on your conscience! If someone dares to say otherwise I will…" "Use your power to force them to accept it?" Himura kept up his smile. "It is thinking like that which creates corrupt people like them," he said, indicating the unconsicous police swordsmen before continuing, "We took up our swords and killed not for political power or money. We did it to bring a peaceful time where everyone was equal. If you should ever forget these ideals…then what have we fought for?" "But, Himura, you must realize, with the swords ban, the days of the samurai are over. One man doesn't have enough power to protect everyone!" Yamagata told him.

"But this one is one sword, and it is enough if this one can protect, even if it is just the people this one lives with, or the ones on the street, de gozaru yo. This one is no different from before. Except that this one is now a runouni, and not a hitokiri." With that, he turned around and walked away.

The vision faded away, leaving Ranma alone in the woods again. His campfire was flickering, the flames slowly dying as it burned the last of the wood. The sun was setting, and the cold evening air was beginning to sweep through the valley. He opened his eyes and stared at the sword before him. Jumbled thoughts raced through his mind as he attempted to place the vision. _Was it real? Did it really happen like that? Was that really Himura Kenshin?_ The pig-tailed martial artist glanced around, taking first notice of the descending darkness. _That was some dream,_ he thought.

_V----------------------------------------V _

Ranma stuck the tip the blade of the sakabatou into the ground and brought it up in a vertical arc that stopped with the sword pointing at the sky above his head. "Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu, _Do-Ryu-Sen_!" The blast of rocks and earth that flew up along a line that ran from the sword to a tree five meters away rained down slowly, and Ranma was once more left panting. Holding the sword in his right hand, he slowly went through the motions of sheathing it. The movements now came with practiced ease. He had been meditating a lot, lately, to calm his mind and in the hopes of an inspiration to master the Neko-Ken. So far, however, none had been forthcoming. He had, however, experienced more dreams of Himura Kenshin fighting, and he was amazed at what the man had managed to accomplish without seriously hurting or killing anyone, despite the greatest adversity.

The images had given the pig-tailed martial artist a completely new outlook on the art of swordfighting. Despite all his father may say, if only half of what he had witnessed in his dreams was true, then that Himura Kenshin was one **powerful** individual. During the visions he had taken to carefully observing how the swordsman fought and learned from him, subconsciously incorporating the moves into his own style of Anything-Goes.

He slowly settled the sword aside and began his unarmed training. Expanding his ki senses, he took in the forest around him, the life that was teeming that day. He had been wandering for quite a while now, and he figured he was close to Okhayama somewhere. At least, so he hoped. _I'd never live it down if I pulled a Ryoga and got lost on my training trip,_ Ranma thought with an internal grin.

_Although I do want to see the look on his face when I take him on with the sword._ Then, with a startling suddenness, he realized he had felt calm and content the last few weeks. He had felt at peace, despite all the trouble that waited for him at home. _Must be that ki signature the sword's giving off. I'm still amazed this Kenshin guy did all that without killing anyone. But if I think about his past…if what I heard was true, if he was really that merciless an assassin…I can understand why he never wanted to kill again. The Art could be too deadly in the wrong hands, and maybe it's the peaceful aura of the sword that…_his thoughts trailed off as he smacked himself on the forehead and landed on his butt for not paying attention.

"That's it! That's how I've been learning! That sword…the ki infused in it… It's gotta be some sort of manual! Why haven't I thought of that before!" The boy raced over to the sakabatou and removed the blade from the sheath. Focusing his ki senses on the blade he could make out the distinctive ki pattern it emanated. The feeling of peace and serenity he felt every time he held it washed over him, and he dug deeper into the swirling vortices of ki that wrapped around the sword. A wide grin nearly split his face in half when he could make out distinctive ki flows and patters beneath the cover of tranquility.

A victorious yell of "**YATTA**!" reverberated throughout the forest.

_V----------------------------------------V_

The sun was setting as he went through the kata. The backyard of his home was quiet, and the last rays of the sun reflected off the gleaming metal spikes that formed the skeleton of his fans. As Ryoko ended the kata, he stared out into the sunset, wondering whether he and Happosai had made the right decision. It was all up to the boy now. The single boy who had more girl troubles than most playboys of the world put together. The single boy who had enough super-powered martial artists after his hide to wipe out a small army. The single boy who had overcome the impossible time and time again.

His attention focused as he felt a familiar ki signature on the wall. "Hello, Happosai. What brings you here?" The diminuitive grandmaster of Anything-Goes jumped down from his perch and eyed the man before him for a moment. "I was just thinking. Did we make the right choice?" Ryoko laughed dryly. "I have absolutely no clue. We don't know what the future holds, or what the boy will have to go through, but he is the most determined and strong-willed person I've ever met. If anyone is going to be the heir to Anything-Goes, I'd rather it's him."

Happosai nodded his assent. "Yes, but did we make the right choice? There is no known record of anyone ever mastering the Neko-Ken. It always ended in the insanity of the student. I don't want to loose Ranma to that." Shaking his head, the taller man thought a moment before answering. "No. As long as Ranma falls prey to the Neko-Ken, he is unpredictable. A wild card that can harm his allies as much as his enemies. It is a weakness that can be exploited, and, one day, **someone** is going to use it to destroy him. I won't stand for that," he paused slightly. "If anyone can master it, it's Ranma."

"Still, it's not going to be easy for the boy," Happosai sighed. "When have things ever been easy for Ranma?" Ryoko shot back. Happosai glanced up at his friend. "You know something I don't." "What makes you say that?" The ancient grandmaster took a moment before replying. "You're hinting that something big is coming this way. Does it have anything to do with your sister? Or that lady that came with you?" Ryoko nodded. "You missed out on quite a bit while Ranma was here. A demon kidnapped Kasumi. He had the help of a goddess."

Nearly choking on his pipe, Happosai fell off the wall. "What?" "You heard me. A demon and goddess. They're after Ranma. He has incredible potential, and incredible power. He's a pretty strong nexus of chaotic forces, and they want to use that to do…well, you know it can't be good, whatever they're up to." Ryoko sighed. "Hild has sealed them both in Niflheim, but I get the feeling that they won't be kept down that easily."

Happosai nodded. "That boy has incredible power and great potential…I just hope he learns how to use it wisely." Ryoko nodded in agreement. "If not…I don't want to think about what could happen if the boy is ever corrupted."


	8. Chapter Eight: New and Old, the Meiji Er...

Author's Notes: Opps...turns out I made a mistake in the last update, chapter 7. It was Tomoe's fiancee, not brother who got killed. I fixed that, thanks to Richard for pointing that out. As for reviews:

Darkepyon: Well, if I don't put him with Akane, Shampoo, Ukyo, or Kodachi, that pretty much leaves...Kasumi and Nabiki. Or I make up an original character. I wasn't too sure if I should go ahead with the Ranma/Kasumi thing because as of this moment I have no idea what to do about Doc Tofu. I'll try to figure something out.

Duke: Why, thank you for your kind words. This arc is going to be...a little shorter than the last one, and it will mainly concern itself with Ranma learning about the Neko-ken. However, there'll also be other things he's going to learn, some conflicts he has to resolve. Needless to say, when he comes back, he's going to be ready to learn some kickass techniques from both Happosai and Ryoko.

Brindani: You know, a Ranma/Ukyo matchup kinda makes sense, too, cause I sorta started it, as well...hehe...well, we'll see

Drkjester: I'm gonna start on a Ranma/someone romance in this arc, sometime in the next two chapters...gotta figure out who to pair him with first, heh. But you're right, I put it off a little too long, and I'm going to try and (hopefully) remedy that and put some romance elements into it.

Mikebreslau: Hm...depending on your definition of "impossible", you might or might not be disappointed by this chapter, because Urd is going to give Ranma something he's gonna use. I actually had her give him the shard of the Nanban Mirror instead of just plain sending him back in time because I thought that made it more...realistic. It's supposed to be his choice, and I try to keep out of things involving fate and destiny.

Hiryo: Uhmm...I must admit, I don't really know much about Jubei-chan, not enough to actually get her into the story, at any rate. Also, I have no clue who Michael is...(sweatdrop).

As for this coming arc, it's mainly going to play out...yep, you guessed it! With the Kenshin cast! Not all of it, though, and I tried to keep the complicatoins to a minimum. I personally don't like time travel, but having Ranma use the Nanban Mirror to go out and meet someone he really wanted to meet seemed more plausible to me than moving the Kenshin crew to modern Tokyo. I'll try to keep the time travel to a minimum, and I promise this is the only point in this story involving time travel!

Chapter Eight: New and Old, The Meiji Era

Ranma stretched as the morning sun shone on his back. Shifting his backpack slightly he glanced up at the sky, the early sunlight causing the morning dew to glitter like tiny pieces of glass. The pig-tailed martial artist grinned as he bathed in the sun, enjoying a peaceful morning, and stopped when he spotted a small hut. He actually had found a road earlier that morning and decided to follow it, wherever it might take him. As he came closer to the hut he noticed it was a small tavern.Calling it that would have been an overstatement, the building was so small it could barely hold a tiny kitchen, and banks were set out on the grass next to it.

Deciding to stop and ask for directions – after all, Ranma did want to know where he was headed – he slowed his steps and knocked on the counter when he reached the hut. "Yes, young man?" an elderly lady chimed, and Ranma looked around for her until he glanced down and found the diminuitive woman. His first thought was that she reminded him of Cologne, with her small, wrinkled stature and deep, wise eyes. His second thought was, _It's a midget_. "I was just walking and..." the pig-tailed martial artist was interrupted by a not-so-subtle growl from his stomach, reminding him that he hadn't had breakfast yet. The hostess chuckled and grinned a toothy grin.

"I'll be right back, young one," she said, and was gone. True to her word, not five minutes later she reappeared from the kitchen carrying some meatballs and onigiri on a tray. Offering it to Ranma, she smiled once more and motioned for him to sit down on one of the benches. Looking at the food critically for a moment, Ranma fought an internal debate. His stomach won, and he started eating at a rate that had the elderly woman giggling like a schoolgirl. "What is a young man like you doing out here?" she finally asked him out of the blue.

Ranma tried to respond, but between his mouthful of rice all that came out were semi-articulate grunts that caused some more giggling from the hostess. Swallowing, Ranma tried again. "I'm just travelling. I actually started because I have this martial arts technique to master...but I've been on the road for weeks now and I'm not a single step closer to even getting a hint about it." A small smile crept onto his face. "Then again, I just might be looking for some answers, too. For my problems at home, ya know." He chuckled. "I figure a couple years on the road ought ta do it, give or take a few."

Once again, the woman shot him a toothy grin. "That sounds quite difficult. But I once had a young man come through here...he couldn't have been any older than you, saying almost exactly the same thing. That he was trying to find his own truth, his own way to live." Curiosity raised, Ranma asked, "What happened to him?"

"I don't know. But sometimes, answers can be found in the past, as well as the present," the hostess said, her smile shifting to an enigmatic one. Ranma finished the last grains of rice and paid for the meal. "Where does this road lead?" he asked. The old woman smiled. "South, I believe. The young man asked me exactly the same thing," she told him with a smile. "Well, I guess I'll be off then," he told her and left. Once Ranma was out of view, the form of the old woman shimmered and revealed a silver-haired, young woman in her place. "You'll meet them, Ranma," she whispered. In a flash of light, Sailor Pluto appeared next to her. "You didn't just send him back in time, did you?" Setsuna asked.

Urd glanced at her, and smiled wryly, something the emerald-haired Senshi hadn't quite expected. "I didn't. I gave him the tool to visit the past, if he wishes to do so. Trust me, worse could happen if he **doesn't** go back and learns what he has to. If you don't believe me, I can have Skuld show you, she's more reliable than that piece of crap you use." Urd turned around and started to walk away. "By the way...the Nanban Mirror does not affect the timeline."

Setsuna twitched for a moment at the comment about the Time Gate, before contemplating whether she should go after the pig-tailed martial artist. She decided that since he was using the Nanban Mirror, he'd end up in an alternate reality and wouldn't change history in hers.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma followed the street that the old woman had told him lead north, when he reached into his pocket and felt an unfamiliar object there. Pulling it out, he discovered it was a shard of glass about the size of his palm wrapped in cloth to prevent it from cutting him. The reflective material glinted in the sunlight, and Ranma smiled as he thought he recognized it. _Heh. Wonder how that got there. Wonder if it still works? _The pig-tailed martial artist shed a tear on the shard. He barely had time to gasp before he fell into the shard of the Nanban Mirror.

"Ow..." Ranma groaned as he stood back up. "What the hell was that?" Glancing around, he noticed not much had changed, and shrugged, deciding to keep going and follow the road, heading away Tokyo. When he saw he nearest city – Kyoto – come up, however, he realized something was very wrong. The buildings weren't as modern as was supposed to in 1994. Neither were the streets, for that matter, and Ranma wondered just **what **kind of messthat shard of glass had gotten him into this time. Shrugging and deciding to take care of finding a place to sleep first before he found out what year he was in, he headed through the streets of the city. Weirder things had happened to him, and he could always use the shard to go back. Besides, a different time meant no Kuno and no Ryoga.

"Aoiya, Inn and Restaurant," Ranma read. "Sounds promising," he chuckled and headed through the door. "Welcome to the Aoiya!" A cheery voice greeted him. The voice belonged to a black-haired bundle of energy, as Ranma soon found out as the girl bounded towards him. "What can I do for you?" Ranma glanced downward at the little girl. She was wearing some sort of uniform or costume that was rather skimpy, her long black hair pulled back in a pigtail that reached to the small of her back. _Wow. She and the Senshi must have the same fashion consultant_, he mused. And somewhere off at the Gates of Time, Setsuna sneezed.

"I need a room for the night," he said. The girl nodded, and bounded off, beckoning him to follow. "We have an open room," she announced. "I'll take you to Jiya so he can sign you up. If you need anything, call me, I'm Makimachi Misao!" The girl chattered on happily, with Ranma trailing her.

She led him to an elderly man with a long beard and...victorian muttonchops? Ranma paused and blinked, checking whether he had really seen that. The old man was still there, as was his odd beard. He offered a small bow and an amused but thorough look and dug out a large scroll. "Good afternoon, and welcome to the Aoiya, I'm called Okina!" Digging out a pen from the depths of his robe, he opened the scroll, glancing at Ranma. "What would be your name?" "Saotome Ranma," the pig-tailed martial artist replied. "All right, Misao will show you your room. How long would you like to stay?"

"Uh...I don't have a clue, actually," Ranma chuckled nervously. "Probably just till tomorrow?" The old man nodded and scribbled some more, before asking Ranma to pay. The martial artist funbled around in his travel pack and dug out the few yen bills he had, before realizing something. "This may sound like an odd question...but what year is it?" The girl and the old man glanced at each other, before Misao told him, "1880, thirteenth year of Meiji, why?" Ranma mentally swore, before putting his money away. He wouldn't be able to use it here anyway. _Hm...Meiji era, huh? Maybe I can run into that Himura Kenshin. Heh. This might not be so bad at all. No Ryoga, no Mousse, no Kuno.._. "Looks like I'm broke," he told them. "Sorry about that." As he turned to leave, the old man asked him, "Wait. Do you have any experience working in a restaurant?"

Ranma turned around, a Cheshire-grin spread across his face. "Hell yeah," he said. "Whatever you need done, cooking, cleaning, serving, daughter rescued or dragon slain." Okina grinned. "Excellent! Misao will show you where you can work!"

_V----------------------------------------V_

As Misao led Ranma through the halls of the inn, she eyed him curiously. He was wearing foreign clothing but looked Japanese. "So, Ranma, what brings you to Kyoto without money? Maybe you're a homeless tramp?" Ranma nearly fell flat on his back at that announcement. "Not...really," he told her. "I'm just travelling around for a bit. I'm a martial artist and I'm trying to find a certain technique," he told her. It wasn't exactly the truth, but he didn't particularly feel like explaining the Neko-Ken.

"So you're rurouni like Himura?" Ranma froze. "Himura? You mean...Himura Kenshin?" Misao nodded. "Yeah, you know him?" Her eyes took a suspicious glint. "You're not looking for him to kill him, are you?" she asked, indicating the sword over his shoulder. Ranma followed her gaze to his sakabatou, before shaking his head. "No! I'm looking for a legendary martial arts technique called the Neko-Ken. I'm headed back to Tokyo at the moment." Misao seemed to be perking up at that. "I'm headed to Tokyo tomorrow, myself! I'm going to visit Himura, maybe we can travel together?"

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma glanced at his travel companion. Despite the girl's appeareance, he was surprised they ahd been making good time, and he expected them to be in Tokyo in less than a week. The only thing that he could fault Misao of, however, was the fact that she was a chatterbox. She always seemed to be talking either about Himura, or some Aoshi-sama that Ranma had absolutely no clue about. From what he had gathered, he figured he must be some sort of super-swordsman of a sorts, judging from Misao's description. He dismissed the more improbable stories about him as hero worship, but if only part of what she was constantly telling him about were true, then that Aoshi was an impressive swordsman in his own right. Even if he came across as an iceblock for a character.

"Say, are you any good?" Ranma looked up sharply at the sudden question, astounded that Misao had stopped her flood of words. "What?" he asked. She rolled her eyes and suppressed the urge to stick her tongue out at him. "Are you any good at martial arts? You said you were a martial artist, right?"

Ranma nodded. "I'm the best," he bragged, his ego taking over as he grinned widely and puffed out his chest. "Really?" Misao rolled her eyes again. "You a swordsman, too, like Himura?" When Ranma shook his head, she arched an eyebrow and pointed at the sword Ranma carried over his shoulder. "Then what's that for?"

"I just started practicing swordsmanship. My main style is kempo," he told her. "Wow! Really? You'll have to spar with me sometime! I bet Aoshi-sama could beat you! I mean, you look pretty strong, but even Sanosuke looks tougher than you!" His head swirled with all the information she was pouring out, and he closed his eyes and shook his head to try and get rid of the forming headache.

To distract himself from her endless chatter, the pig-tailed martial artist glanced around him, when he suddenly realized he hadn't been splashed with cold water once he last two days._ Amazing. I haven't had my curse triggered in two days..._ Before he could finish that thought, however, thunder crashed and rain started to pour down. _Great..._ Ranma groaned as he felt the tingling sensation that accompanied his change. He just hoped Misao wouldn't overreact. Of course, he realized he should have thought of that possibility and travelled alone, then again, he wasn't one for pre-planning, anyways.

"Say, Ranma, you..." Misao's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when she turned to find her companion gone and replaced with a short, busty, red-headed girl that was about as cute as you could get. "Where's Ranma?" she asked. Ranma-chan sighed and maneuvered them both beneath a tree. "Long story. I'm still Ranma, though." She mentally swore and raised her aura to dry off her clothes. "Ever been to China?"

Misao shook her head suspiciously, and Ranma noticed her hands were moving into the folds of her clothes, ready to withdraw the hidden kunai, no doubt. "There's this place called Jusenkyo there. It's a cursed valley of pools, each with its own tragic story of something or another that drowned in there. Anyway, I happened to kick Pops into the Shamonnichuuan, or some other obscure Chinese name. Spring of Drowned Panda. I fell into the Nyannichuuan, Spring of Drowned Girl. Now whenever I get splashed with cold water I end up like this, and warm water turns me back."

To prove her point, Ranma-chan dug out a cup out of her backpack and held it out into the rain, filling it up with water. Using a burst of ki, she heated it up and dumped it upon herself. He nearly chuckled when he saw Misao gape as he changed into a boy and back into a girl when stray raindrops found their way through the canopy of leaves. "Are you some kind of...sorceror or something?" The girl asked. Ranma-chan groaned again. "Nope, it's a curse. Got me into a whole lotta trouble, too."

Their conversation was cut short when the splash of water and mud reached their ears. Ranma-chan whirled around in a combat stance, pushing her sakabato into her belt, while Misao's hands came up with about a dozen kunai ready to throw. Both of them held still as a convoy of seven horsemen and a wagon carrying another two men and three women passed them on the road. Ranma's eyes narrowed as he took in the shackles that held the women. "Slavetraders," Misao muttered. "They exist, even in the Meiji era."

Ranma-chan nodded grimly, before pulling Misao even deeper into the foliage. "What are you doing? We can't let them get away!" Misao protested, but Ranma silenced the other girl with a finger to her lips. "I know, but we need a plan. If we go in like this we're endangering them and us. There are at least nine of them, and only two of us." Misao protested. "If you're too chicken to do it, then..." she never finished the sentence as the foliage before them parted and the two girls stared right into the faces of four men. "Look at what we have here...two cuties." The thug took in the kunai in Misao's hands and the sword on Ranma's belt. "Now, put away those weapons and we won't harm you. Wouldn't want to waste such pretty faces, now, would we?"

His only reply was Misao yelling "_Kecho-Giri_!" and launching herself at him in a flying kick that knocked him all the way back to the road. _Not bad, that girl's pretty good,_ Ranma mused as she rushed forward, slamming the sakabato's sheath into the thug in front of her, before twirling it around like a bo and knocking a second over the head. She ducked under the sword one of the slavers had pulled and brought the hilt of her sword up into his chin, turned around and landed a powerful roundhouse kick on the one behind her.

"Kill them!" The order came from the street. The remaining three slavers drew their weapons and charged with a battlecry, their charge suddenly interrupted by a yell of "_Kansatsu Tobi-Kunai_!" From the sidelines, dozens of the small throwing daggers flew, forcing the slavers to dive out of the way. Misao readied the next volley of her kunai when she felt the point of a gun on the back of her neck. Swearing under her breath for letting herself be caught off-guard, she thought of a way out of the situation.

"_Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-Ken_!" Ranma pummeled one of the attackers before turning and slamming the blunt side of her sword into the next. Steel rung as she brought the blade up to block a sword strike that would have split her head and lashed out with a kick that doubled over the man, before sending him into unconsciousness with a strike to a shiatsu point. She could see the wagon from where she was fighting, the women half-clothed and hurt. Their aureal chi told her of their despair, and it fueled Ranma's anger and disgust at these men. Pushing the saya of her sword back through her belt forcefully so it gutted the thug trying to sneak up on her, Ranma spun, delivering a vicious blow to his head with the flat side of the blade.

"Hold it right there, missy!"

Ranma turned at the voice, her throat suddenly very dry as she counted the unconscious bodies on the ground. Eight. The very last of the nine slavers held Misao against him, and had a gun pointing at Ranma-chan. "You put up a nice fight, and it's a shame to have to kill a pretty girl such as you...but they do say business over pleasure. Drop your sword." Eyeing the man suspiciously, Ranma dropped her sword. "Atta girl. But you didn't really believe I would let you go?" The gunshot rang out throughout the clearing, along with a scream of "NO!"

A wet splash could be heard as everything else went silent and a body hit the ground. Then, everything seemed to speed up again for Ranma-chan as the slaver grinned evily and pointed the gun at her. "Your turn," he said, pulling the trigger.

Ranma stood there for a moment, seemingly in shock, staring at the fallen body of her travel companion. _Chikuso...I shouldn't have let this happen...How could I...CHIKUSO!_ Pure, animalistic rage burned in Ranma's blue eyes as she took in the proof of her failure as a martial artist. _I wasn't strong enough, or fast enough, or smart enough. I wasn't **good **enough. Maybe oyaji was right, I **am** a weak, whining girl._ Her anger ignited her ki, battle aura blazing up in a flickering red flame hot enough to boil away the drops of rainwater that still fell. "_Kijin Raishuû-Dan_!" With a yell, she unleashed her fury in the single, most deadly attack of her school, rage wrenching open the memories of the sealed techniques.

The slaver didn't have time to scream before he vacuum blades cut through his bullet, then through him. Ranma sank to her knees, her battle aura still burning around her, relishing the feeling of having taken the man's life, and being appalled at herself at the same time. Revenge felt good. She **was** strong. Strong enough to kill that disgusting person. She had enjoyed wielding the power to kill him. Glancing around and seeing the other slavers on the ground at her mercy, Ranma smiled. They would pay. They deserved nothing more than death. "What...in the world?" A small voice interrupted her plans for taking out her anger on the unconsious criminals, and back to Misao. She rushed to the fallen girl's side. "Misao!"

"That was...ouch!" The girl tried to sit up, but slumped back, holding her side. Ranma could see the blood seeping between her fingers. "Let me see," she told Misao, prying her fingers off the wound. It wasn't as bad as it had looked, the bullet had only done minimal damage, glancing off one of the kunai Misao kept in her clothing. "Heh...I wouldn't be much of a ninja if I let myself be killed that easily," Misao chuckled, causing Ranma to arch an eyebrow. "You gotta tell me about it sometime," she said before hitting a couple of presure points and undoing the strip of cloth she used for a belt. Tying it around the other girl's side, Ranma nodded at her handiwork. "That should do it. I hit a couple of pressure points to counter the pain, so you'll feel numb for a while. That's about all I can do. You wanna go to a doctor's?"

Misao shook her head and pointed at the wagon. "Those women," she said. Ranma understood what she meant and began searching the slavers – those who hadn't woken up and run away – for the key to the shackles, before grunting in frustration and just using a miniature ki blast to melt the chains.

_V----------------------------------------V_

The remainder of the trip to Tokyo was rather quiet as Misao sensed something was wrong with her travel companion. Ranma had been brooding for the last days, never really talking and only replying when directly spoken to, and only in monosyllables. The Oniwabanshuu was getting worried. She couldn't figure out what could have happened to do that to her companion, and decided to leave Ranma be.

Ranma, on the other hand, wasn't in the mood for talking. His mind kept wandering back to the incident with the slavers. He remembered very well the feeling of ecstasy, of power that had coursed through him as he had killed the man, something he had to admit he had felt when he had slain Saffron, as well, even though he had been distracted by his feelings for Akane that time. The pig-tailed martial artist also had to admit he would have found it very difficult to present the case of that particular slaver and people like him before a court and not come up with some sort of severe punishment.

Add to that what he had seen in those womens' eyes, and what he had seen when he had freed them...they had been tortured, beaten, violated. It was a fate he shuddered at the mere thought of, and he knew that he would do anything in his power to prevent that fate from occuring to any he held dear. _That man deserved what he got. For what he did to those women...he deserved death. Didn't he? A martial artist is supposed to protect people, but even at the cost of a life? Is it right to take his life to prevent him from ever hurting anyone again, is it right to take his life for revenge? _

Ranma shuddered. He was a martial artist. Killing was something he didn't do, that honor forbade him to do. Yet...when he thought back to those women, he felt appaled and disgusted at the man, and when he had shot at Misao on top of that, he had been angry enough, furious enough to actually **want** his death. He stared down at his hands. He had only taken a life once, and even then, Saffron had been reborn. This man hadn't. There was blood on his hands, irreversible, undeniable this time.

_V----------------------------------------V _

Kenshin was doing the laundry when he heard a knock on the front door. The hitokiri turned rurouni didn't think much of it. What he did take note of, however, was Yahiko's battlecry and subsequent loud crack. When he reached the front gate of the dojo, Kenshin's eyes widened and he had to fight to suppress the urge to laugh. Misao was standing at the other side of the gate, with a strange boy accompanying her. Yahiko was opposing them, standing before the other boy, his shinai still raised – or what was left of it, anyway. The wooden sword had broken off and left the young apprentice with only the hilt and about four inches of the blade.

Once she saw him, Misao rushed him, and Kenshin found himself on the receiving end of one of her bear hugs as she glomped on to him. He heard the other boy chuckle, before setting down the girl. "It certainly is nice to see you, Misao-dono. What brings you here?" His glance wandered to Yahiko and the stranger, and with a disapproving tone, he told the boy, "Yahiko, how many times have we told you not to attack anyone you see before you're absolutely sure they mean harm?"

"But Kenshin! He's carrying a sword! No one carries a sword and comes here unless they wanna kill you!" Yahiko wailed. Turning his attention to the boy who still stood outside the gate, Kenshin gave him an appraising gaze. He was lean, with piercing blue eyes and raven black hair tied back into a short pigtail. His clothes were foreign, and he had a sword slung over his shoulder.

Noticing the swordsman's gaze, Ranma chuckled nervously and bowed slightly. "Hello. I'm Saotome Ranma. Sorry 'bout this." The familiar phrase caused a round of chuckles, and Misao urged him in. "Come in already, Ranma! Himura doesn't bite!" With a grin at the still shell-shocked Yahiko, she stagewhispered, "I'm not so sure about Yahiko-chan, though!" With a giggle, she ran off, Leaving Kenshin, Ranma and Yahiko standing at the gate.

"Come on in, Saotome-dono," Kenshin bowed and stepped aside to allow Ranma in. The pig-tailed martial artist grimaced. "Call me anything but that, please. Ranma is fine. Saotome-dono reminds me of my father...and he didn't do anything to deserve that honorific." The martial artist picked up thepiece of the shinai that lay behind him and handed it to Yahiko. "There ya go. Next time, though, hit harder."

Kenshin watched the exchange, then led Ranma inside. "I apologize for Yahiko's behavior. Hes a little protecive of all of us, and we don't get too many friendly visitors here, de gozaru yo." Ranma chuckled. "Looks like it. I'm used to being challenged daily myself." Suddenly, a scream ringing with primeal rage reached them. "**DON'T CALL ME –CHAN!**"

Kenshin chuckled. "Looks like Yahiko regained his wits, de gozaru."

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma stood in the doorframe, looking out into the yard of the house attached to the dojo, so much like the Tendo's...a voice broke him out of his reverie. "There seems to be a lot on your mind, Saotome-dono," Kenshin said, as he approached the boy. The pig-tailed martial artist didn't turn around as he replied, "Yeah. I've had a lot to think about on this trip." Kenshin assessed their houseguest for the first time. He held himself with the grace and pride of long martial training, and his aura exuded power far beyond what a seventeen year old boy should possess. It made Kenshin wonder just who he was.

"Why did you come on this trip, if you will allow Sessha to ask this question?" Ranma arched an eyebrow at the use of language, but dismissed it as a historical or personal quirk. Most likely the latter. "I've been trained in martial arts since I could walk," he began as he settled down on the porch and invited the rurouni to sit down next to him. "My father wasn't the best of teachers, but you couldn't fault him for efficiency. Now, I gotta take over the school and become grandmaster."

Ranma gazed off into the distance. "My sensei has set me the task of mastering this ancient technique called the Neko-Ken."

The red-haired swordsman shook his head. "Sessha has never heard of it, de gozaru. I can see that you are a martial artist of exceptional skill, though," Kenshin added with a small smile. "Sessha thinks that Sano is going to be quite upset if he finds out there is another well versed in hand to hand combat here. Most likely he will challenge you to a fight." Chuckling, Ranma grimaced. "Figures. Wherever I go, challenges seem to follow. Thanks for the warning, though."

The two sat in companionable silence as the sun set and dipped the yard into darkness. Suddenly, Ranma glanced over at the former assassin, and asked, "How do you cope?" "Oro?" Kenshin turned a confused look on the pig-tailed martial artist. "How do you cope? Going from being the feared Hitokiri Battousai to being a mere rurouni. One who strikes from the shadows without warning or mercy, to one who only fights when absolutely necessary. How do you manage it?"

Kenshin shuddered a little at the nickname he had been given during the Bakumatsu. Did everyone these days know who he was? He thought a long time about the boy's question before replying. "The Bakumatsu was a bloody time. Everyone did things they were not proud of, but were necessary. I myself wanted to help ease the suffering of the people, and the only way I perceived to be able to help was to put to use what I had learned."

"The Hiten Mitsurugi." Ranma stated. It wasn't a question. He had also noted Kenshin's speech patterns had changed, his eyes flashing with specks of gold, and the pronouns he used.

"Yes, the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. Killing was wrong, yet I was young and naive. I didn't think there was any other way. But..." Kenshin didn't finish his sentence. "Tomoe?" Ranma asked softly. The swordsman nodded. "Yes. Tomoe. She showed me true happiness, and for the first time I was content to just let the world be and just be with her. It was not to be."

The pig-tailed youth could feel the pain emanating from the former assassin, but he felt he had to ask this question. "I...My whole life I've been taught that it is a martial artist's duty to protect those who can't protect themselves," he started. "But..." his voice dropped to a whisper. "But...I've seen people get hurt, and the only thing I could do was act after they got hurt. Honor won't allow me to do otherwise..."

Kenshin stared at the pig-tailed boy in astonishment, looking into eyes that held infinite regret and infinite anger all at once. "How am I supposed to protect people from getting hurt when I have to let them get hurt in the first place?" Ranma nearly yelled, his frustration clearly evident.

"If Sessha may ask...what happened to make you think like that?" A glance into the pig-tailed martial artist's eyes told him his answer, though. "This has been building for quite some time, correct?"

"Yeah," Ranma muttered. "All my life I've been taught to protect others, yet I've seen so many people oppressed and suffering, and I can't do nothing to help them until someone abuses them first! It's not fair! I...I got so angry at a slaver back on the road here that I killed him..." he whispered, regret and disgust in his tone. Kenshin's eyes widened at the admittance.

"It...I was so angry at them, I hated them so much for what they had done to those women and children, and that I was unable to help them, unable to stop Misao from getting hurt...I killed him." Ranma's face contorted into a maniacal grin, before setting back into calm. Kenshin couldn't help but worry about the sanity of the pig-tailed martial artist.

"Taking a life is never easy, and it never should be. Not in cold blood, not in self-defense, not in revenge. The day killing becomes easy for one, is the day we loose what makes us human," the swordsman slowly began. "Sessha has vowed never to kill again, yet several times Sessha has been tempted, to protect loved ones. It is a responsibility that comes with power, de gozaru yo. No one who wields enough power to be able to take life can escape that choice forever. You will have to decide for yourself whether you are willing to live with the burden of having to see people suffer to be able to help them, or with the stain of blood on your hands to never see people suffer."

Ranma sighed as Kenshin remained silent, both of them out of words, knowing it was up to the pig-tailed martial artist now.


	9. Chapter Nine: Sword of Heavens: Tenken

Author's Notes: Well, here's the final outcome of the vote:

Kasumi: 5

Ukyo: 1 (blame brindani for that one, hehe)

Akane: 0. Zero. Nada. Null. (Good thing, too. ;-P)

Misao: 1

Looks like Kasumi wins, folks! So, the gentle girl it is.

As for the reviews, thank you for your praise and critique alike! Always aiming to please, hehe.

BTB: Well, sorry you feel that way. I personally don't really like Akane, though...oh well. To each his own, I guess. Thanks for giving this story a try, though, I appreciate it!

Hiryo: Edo is what Tokyo was called before the Meiji Revolution. After they moved the capital from Kyoto to Edo, they renamed it Tokyo (so calling it Tokyo started in the Meiji Era, actually). As for the Ranma/Kenshin fight...won't happen. Sorry to disappoint you folks, but Kenshin ain't gonna spar. Though I think I found a decent replacement – I think this chapter's title kinda gives it away, hehe. I'm thinking about a Sano/Ranma fight, but all I come up with is that Sano is too much like Ryoga to be an actual challenge to Ranma (he's all strength and taking damage head-on, too, if a bit faster), so we'll see about that.

Now, I won't keep ya guys waiting any longer! Enjoy!

Chapter Nine: Sword of Heavens - Tenken

Seta Soujiro glanced around the unfamiliar street. He knew he was somewhere in Tokyo, however, at the moment, that knowledge didn't do him much good, as he had never actually spent much time in this city. His wanderings had brought him here, and when he saw a sign that read, "Kamiya Kasshin Ryu – Kenjutsu Dojo," he allowed himself a small smile. He had some news for Himura-san. The two years of wandering the country had led him to a conclusion. It had taken him less time than the ex-hitokiri, but he was just as content with the way of life the ex-Tenken had found for himself.

He knocked on the door, and was greeted to the surprised face of a young woman with long black hair drawn back in a ponytail, and dark brown eyes. She blinked at him, before asking, "Welcome to the Kamiya Kasshin dojo. What can I do for you?" Soujiro chuckled, barely recognizing the girl. "Is Himura-san home?" he asked, only to narrowly dodge a shinai.

"You'll never get Kenshin alive! Only over my dead bo-" the boy who assaulted him was cut off as a hand jerked him back by his collar. "Cut that out, Yahiko-chan," a tall boy said from behind the apprentice swordsman with a chuckle. Soujiro turned and sent a smile of gratitude at the young man, appraising him. He was tall and muscular, yet his grace showed off the underlying power and speed. His black hair was bound in a short pigtail, while his clear blue eyes seemed to assess him, as well.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma glanced at the visitor as he held back Yahiko with one hand. The young man before him was of medium height, and had unruly short brown hair that had a tendency to fall into his eyes, the pig-tailed martial artist noted amusedly. He noticed the visitor's eyes were in constant motion, evaluating him one moment and shifting to glance across the entire courtyard the next. His stance and fluid movements meant he had combat training, and Ranma couldn't help but notice the long wrapped package that he carried over his shoulder that no doubt held a sword. Clad in a light blue gi with a white button-up shirt underneath, and dark blue hakama, the young man before him struck a dashing image of a swordsman.

"You looking for Kenshin, he's in the back. I think he's still playing with Ayame and Suzume," he finally said, setting Yahiko down on the ground. The newcomer bowed in thanks. "Arigato. My name is Seta Soujiro." Ranma nodded in return, "Saotome Ranma."

_V----------------------------------------V _

Soujiro ignored the startled gasp Kaoru let out at the mention of his name as he studied the pig-tailed martial artist before him amusedly. _It gets odder every time, ne?_ He dodged a shinai that was announced by a yell of, "Die, Tenken!" only to notice Ranma was holding on to Yahiko again. "I **said**, cut that out Yahiko-chan." The boy exploded at the nickname and attempted to swing up and gnaw upon Ranma's head like he did with Sano, only to be countered and end up in a semi-serious strangle hold.

Ranma grinned and marched the boy away from the gate. "Ya got practice, Yahiko-chan. Kaoru, I'm borrowing Yahiko for a while." The woman nodded automatically, before turning back towards the young man still at the door. Soujiro offered her a warm smile, something he had discovered he liked to do after the disastrous attempt at taking over Japan. "I can understand your distrust in me, Kaoru-san, but I assure you I mean Himura-san no harm. People change."

The mistress of the Kamiya dojo eyed the ex-Tenken warily, before smiling slightly herself, sensing the honesty in his words. "The years have been good to you, Seta-san. Come on, I'm sure Kenshin would like to see you again."

_V----------------------------------------V_

Kenshin glanced up when he saw Ranma march Yahiko past him, in the direction of the dojo floor. Yahiko, for his part, was struggling mightily to get loose, but it seemed the pig-tailed martial artist had a secure hold on the apprentice swordsman. Kenshin couldn't help but smile at the scene the two were making. His attention did turn to something else when he saw who else was coming around the corner into the yard.

"Soujiro!" The red-haired swordsman stood up from where he was playing with Doctor Gensai's granddaughters to greet the other man. He could see and sense the changes in and around the former assassin, and he smiled. Soujiro would have one heck of a story to tell. "It's good to see you again, as well, Himura-san." The ex-Tenken smiled. "I was passing through and thought I should pay you a visit, and let you know how things are." With a hint of mischief in his brown eyes, Soujiro added, "It didn't quite take me ten years."

_V----------------------------------------V _

"Ranma-kun, where's Yahiko?" Kaoru asked when Ranma returned from the dojo a few hours later, alone. They were still sitting around the living room, sharing stories about the two years that had passed since they met. "He's still out, I think. Didn't even make it past two hours of sparring," the pig-tailed martial artist grumbled. Kaoru and Kenshin laughed, having grown accustomed to seeing their guest work out far longer than any of them had expected, showing his dedication to his art. "You didn't work him over too badly, I hope? He still has practice tomorrow."

"Don't worry, he's gonna be fine for it. Just sore as hell." Ranma chuckled as he nodded at Soujiro an waved at Misao. "I'll go start on dinner," he said as he continued through. "Really, Ranma, there's no need." The martial artist grinned at Kenshin. "I don't wanna freeload off of you guys. I'm not staying long, but I wouldn't feel right not helping out."

_V----------------------------------------V_

"So, Saotome-san, you're a martial artist?" Ranma turned at the new voice that intruded the silence of the night. He wasn't expecting anyone to be out on the porch at this time of the night. "Yeah. Seta-san, wasn't it? Jus' call me Ranma. Saotome–san reminds me of oyaji, and that's something I'd rather forget." Soujiro arched an eyebrow at the way the boy spoke of his father, his curiosity piqued. "Just call me Soujiro, then. I haven't really done all that much to deserve much respect," the swordsman added.

That, in turn, caught Ranma's interest. The young man sitting down next to him didn't seem all that much older than he was, maybe a year or two, but he could sense an air of seriousity and regret behind the cheerful facade. "You're a swordsman, too? Kenshin seems to be pretty good, but he refuses to spar with me." Ranma opened up, trying to think of a topic. "Himura-san is...undoubtedly the best swordsman I have ever seen. I have never met such an intriguing person. When we fought, I was rather amazed by the passion he put into it, his will to live and come through for the sake of others." Soujiro smiled, a smile that came easier now and had a sincere quality to it he had lacked only a mere two years before.

"You two have fought?" The pig-tailed martial artist tensed up. Maybe the swordsman wasn't as friendly as he appeared to be. Sensing his discomfort, Soujiro smiled. "´Not anymore. That was two years ago, when I first met Himura-san. It is a long story, I suppose." "Really?" _Can't be any weirder than what I've been through_, Ranma thought with a chuckle.

Soujiro sighed and glanced up at the stars above. "You are aware of Himura-san's role during the Bakumatsu?" At Ranma's nod, the ex-Tenken continued. "He began as an assassin striking out from the shadows, always completely hidden, completely under cover. Then, during the last stages of the Bakumatsu, Himura-san stepped out into the open, working as a free sword for the Ishin Shishi. The person who took over the role of the man in the shadows was a man of equal skill, yet where Himura-san only wished to protect the people, Shishio-sama had great ambitions."

This was getting interesting, Ranma thought, although he could see where this was leading. _Lemme guess...megalomaniac trying to take over Japan?_ He didn't know how right he was.

"After the Bakumatsu, while Himura-san was known as a hero to the men in power, Shishio-sama was a thorn in their side; one that was rather dangerous, with all the secrets he knew. If he spilled knowledge of some of the assassinations he had carried out to the public, the Meiji government would have fallen in short time. So, the new regime tried to rid themselves of him." Ranma nodded. "They killed him?"

"Tried to. He survived being shot and burned alive. The ten years between the end of the Bakumatsu and the Kyoto incident he spent building up his resources, gathering a syndicate around him. We were known as the 'Ten Swords', the Juppongattana. Ten of the best fighters who had found something at fault with the new regime, and wanted to see it gone. It was rather funny, some of us admired Shishio-sama, some of us hated him...yet we all followed him. The plan was to set spread havoc by killing the last 'great revolutionist', Okubo Tokimichi, then spreading fire around Kyoto, assassinating government officials in the chaos." Soujiro smiled sadly.

"Himura-san was bid to return to Kyoto and stop us. Our first fight was in Shingetsu village, just north of Kyoto. Himura-san had stopped to free the village from Shishio-sama. We ended it in a draw, if I remember right. I destroyed his sakabato, while he shattered my sword. Our second fight was in Kyoto. Himura-san, with the help of little Misao and her group of Oniwabanshu, had managed to stop us from setting fire. He also managed to sink the 'Purgatory', Shishio-sama's steel-plated battleship. He and his comrades returned to Kyoto, and we met in the Shrine of the Six Arches." Soujiro took a moment to glance back at the living room.

"What Himura-san now uses is not his original sakabato. This is, as I've heard, _sakabato shinuchi_, the principal forge of the holy sword it was intended to be. When we met again, he had acquired it from the son of the smith who forged his original sword. Our second duel was fought in the midst of Shishio-sama's hideout, on Mount Hiei. He was already injured and tired, yet he insisted on fighting on nonetheless." Running a hand along the cloth that covered his sword, the swordsman turned his eyes inwards for a moment.

"I used to be called the Tenken. When Shishio-sama found me, I was with my adoptive family. They...didn't treat me well. Like a slave, actually. They'd beat me and use me to do their manual labor, and when I cried they'd beat me some more. So, one day, I decided to just smile. I just found that I had no will to live anymore, that I was content to just die; I stopped feeling pain, stopped feeling hurt. They'd grow tired of it and leave me alone then. Shishio-sama found me one day and my lack of emotion, my lack of fear intrigued him. I...ended up having to kill them that day, for they were finally determined to rid themselvs of me. I was callled Tenken, 'Sword of Heavens', because of the way I used to fight. Because I used to seal away my emotions, I could fight without fear, without regret for killing, giving me that much of an edge against my opponents. That and my _Shukuchi_ gave me pretty much an advantage against every opponent I have ever met. The _Shukuchi_ surpasses even the Hiten Mitsurugi's godspeed. Yet, somehow, Himura-san managed to stand through my assault." He unconsciously rubbed across his chest.

"I realized that day, that even though I had an advantage by not knowing regret and fear, he became even stronger through his will to live. In the end, not even my _Shukuchi_ could save me from Himura-san's _Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki_. It hurt like hell, but it opened my eyes. Himura-san was strong. He is by far the strongest swordsman I've ever met, and I think I'm beginning to understand why. The will to live, the need to protect others, is what drives our swordsmanship, and our passion for it. Without that passion, without that goal of protecting, without regret for the lives you are taking and respect for the art you are using, swordsmanship becomes not an art, but merely a set of rules for fighting, a way to kill. Without passion, kenjutsu can be precise and deadly, but never graceful and lethal. After he defeated Shishio-sama, and we of the Juppongattana were scattered, I decided that, if Himura-san took ten years on the road to find his truth, then maybe, I, too, would find a way of life I wanted to live."

Ranma nodded. He hadn't quite expected all that. "So, have you found what you were looking for?"When Soujiro nodded, the pig-tailed martial artist grimaced inwardly. _Looks like wandering around for a couple a' years seems to be the common theme amongst all of us with a dark past._ "What brings you here, Ranma?"

The pig-tailed martial artist shrugged. "Much the same, I guess. I'm jus' wandering around, trying to figure out some things for myself. Actually, I'm the heir to my school of martial arts, and I've been sent to master this one technique so I would be acknowledged as the heir and master of the school. But, I figured, since I finally got a break from the mess that's my life, I might as well try ta find a way to figure out how to solve it." Ranma shook his head. "I swear, my life's worse than a bowl of ramen." Soujiro chuckled at the reference.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Four official fiancees, thirty-seven already dealt with, seventeen people out for my blood, I'm almost insane because of some stupid training technique, and I got sold for food more often than I can count. Stupid Pops. What's so funny?" Ranma shot an irritated glance at Soujiro, who was currently shaking in suppressed laughter. "It's just...your life is a real mess. At least I had it easy. Be the bad guy, fight the good guy, get converted. You on the other hand..."Soujiro broke off as he started laughing again. Ranma sighed, before chuckling himself. "Yeah, if it weren't me in that situation I guess it'd be pretty funny."

When they'd both gotten themselves under control again, Ranma took a deep breath, staring up at the sky. "But honor demands that I marry one of three girls, I've got people blaming me for all that goes wrong in their lives, used to be in love with a person who absolutely doesn't trust me...There's no way I can make it out of this mess with my honor intact, except seppuku."

"Why does honor mean so much to you? You obviously remained in what you admitted was an untenable position for quite a while. Why endure it? Why not run away?"

"'The path of a martial artist is fraught with peril'," Ranma quoted sourly. "I grew up on the road with Pops, and he wasn't the best example of a father. I didn't have any friends, and I didn't have much of a family or a home. I don't have anything to call my own except my honor, and my Art. The Neko-ken technique nearly drove me insane, oyaji worked me to the edge of starvation each day. Training as a martial artist on the road was harsh, as is being the best. Constant challenges, never allowing yourself to loose. It never really enabled me to grow up and find friends. The things that kept me going were my passion for the Art and my honor. I had nothing else." Ranma smiled slightly. "Now's a different story. I got my mother back, I found friends, and I have people waiting for me to come back." The swordsman nodded as he understood. He himself had clung to the first – and only – thing that had presented himself as his way out, Shishio Makoto, because he had had nothing left to keep himself going except for his quickly waning will to live.

"So, what did you wanna do with your life? You gonna vow not to kill like Kenshin here?" Ranma finally asked, breaking the silence that had desceded upon them. Soujiro shook his head. "No. I realized the worth of human life and that it shouldn't be taken lightly. But...I also know that sometimes it is necessary to kill. Shishio-sama taught me once that if you're strong, you live; if you're weak, you die. And while Himura-san seems to believe that all people can be taught and bettered, I have seen proof of the contrary, unfortunately. As much as we don't like to admit it, in this increasingly capitalistic world honor starts meaning less and money starts meaning more. It **has **become a world where the strong live and the weak die." Ranma nodded as he recalled the slaver he'd killed on the road. "I draw my sword rarely, and only if the situation has no other way out. I won't kill as recklessly as I used to...but when it is necessary, I'll strike my opponent down," the swordsman whispered.

"If I have to be strong to continue living and protect others, then I will be strong. I cannot afford to be weak and die, not when I can make a difference. Himura-san might disagree, but I can live with it. This is my truth," he said.

_V----------------------------------------V_

"He's good, isn't he?" Kaoru whispered as she, Kenshin and Soujiro stood in the dojo, watching as Ranma went through his kata. The sword the pig-tailed youth was holding was a mere flash of silver as he lashed out at the air, striking invisible targets at almost impossible speeds. An effortless jump nearly put him through the roof of the dojo, a subtle shift of his body allowing him to stay in the air longer than should be possible. Each strike of the blade was precise, lethal, executed with a deadly accuracy and grace, a deadly shadowfight that had only one outcome: death, for whoever would be facing it. It was hard to believe the boy had come up with the kata himself, having had no previous swordsmanship training.

Then the pig-tailed martial artist put away his blade and began to dance. If the inhabitants of the Kamiya dojo thought their guest had been elegant before, now he was grace and power incarnate. Flowing through the free-form kata like water around rocks, at times violent and fast like a raging river, at times tranquil and gentle as a calm brook, the pig-tailed martial artist meshed styles as he moved through his excercise with an ethereal grace that made his former sword dance look sluggish in comparison.

The two swordmasters carefully hid their smiles as they observed his excercise, the passion he had for it, the way he had turned fighting into an Art in its own right. This was the way martial arts was supposed to be, both thought. A form of art, something that transcended the boundaries of strong and gentle, fast and slow, something beyond the power of karate and kempo, and the tranquility of tai chi. And here, was its master. Suddenly, Ranma picked up the pace, and even Kenshin and Soujiro had to strain their eyes to make out more than the blurred form of the martial artist as he lashed out with bare hands and legs, the air pressure generated by his strikes noticeable even across the dojo. Kaoru gasped at the almost casual display of a speed that rivalled even the Hiten Mitsurugi's godspeed.

When Ranma came to a finish in a ready stance, he heard clapping from across the dojo and noticed he had an audience. Blushing slightly and squirming under the scrutiny of the three swordfighters at the door he walked over to where he had put down his sword and a towel. "I have to revise my opinion, Ranma-kun. You're an outstanding martial artist," Soujiro told him. "I came to train, but maybe, would you care for a spar?" Sano choose this moment to enter the dojo, catching the tail end of the swordmans's question. "You're just looking for an excuse to beat the up the kid," he chuckled. "No way in hell he can take on the Tenken."

Ranma grinned as he caught his breath and dried the sweat off his face. "You do know I never back down from a challenge, do you?" With his trademark cocky smirk, he picked up a bokken from the wall, sliding it into his belt. Soujiro did the same, and the two combatants faced off in the middle of the floor, bowed to each other, and waited for the signal. Kenshin eyed the two carefully with a small smile, before he shouted, "Hajime!"

Soujiro seemed to disappear as he charged forwards, his opponent merely waiting with a smirk on his face. Sano grinned. "This is gonna be over real fast."

With a rasp, Ranma slid his bokken out of his belt and stepped slightly to the side. A resounding crack filled the dojo as the two blades met, Soujiro's pressing forward and sidewards, Ranma's intercepting it with the side of the blade. The two separated and started circling. Soujiro dashed in, striking low, only to be blocked, came up to parry a diagonal swing aimed at his midsection, and lashed out in an arc as he turned around, in a strike that would decapitate his opponent.

Ranma ducked under the swing, pivoted on one foot, and brought the bokken up and around in a horizontal swing that connected to Soujiro's unprotected back – or would have. The pig-tailed martial artist had not counted on his opponent's speed, and a burst of his _Shukuchi_ took Soujiro a safe distance away from him. Ranma eyes his opponent warily, trying to read his stance...and came up with nothing. Soujiro had assumed the basic kenjutsu middle-guard stance of _Chuudan_, sword held at the waist, angled up at his opponent's throat. A serene smile played around his lips, causing Ranma to frown.

This time, it was Ranma who attacked, his blade flashing in complicated patterns as he sought to penetrate his opponents defenses, but Soujiro managed to parry his strikes, only to counter with a thrust that caused Ranma to sidestep, allowing Soujiro to put distance between them again. The pig-tailed boy's eyes narrowed as Soujiro began tapping his feet on the ground. "You're very good with a sword, Ranma-kun. Your attacks are all executed flawlessly and brilliant in tactics," Soujiro commented, before disappearing, leaving behind a series of shockwaves as he closed the distance between them.

"_Shukuchi_!" Sano whispered. The former figher-for-hire had seen first hand how fast and powerful this technique was, so fast, in fact, that even Kenshin had been having trouble keeping up with it. Shooting a glance at said red-haired swordsman, Sano noted idly that he still had that smile on his face as he watched the fight progress, seemingly not overly worried about the outcome.

A loud kiai from Ranma brought their attention back to the match on the floor. The pig-tailed martial artist had his blade extended in front of him, and was swinging it to his left, a split second too late as the strike connected, throwing him against the far wall of the dojo. "But still, you have no chance of beating me with a sword," Soujiro added. The boy rose, breathing heavily, grasping his bokken tightly as he assumed a defensive stance. Soujiro charged again. Ranma's blade flashed out in an arc to intercept an invisible strike, once again a fraction of a second too late as the blow raked across his back.

This time, Ranma was having visible trouble rising again. Sweat was dripping heavily from his face as he took deep, shuddering breaths. His head lowered, he switched his sword to his left hand, letting it hang limply at his side. "Come," he whispered, so quietly only Soujiro could hear. The swordsman was still smiling as he charged the boy.

This time, Ranma's blade arced out, once, twice, three times, each one accompanied by the crack of wood meeting wood as he blocked the attacks that came his way. When he raised his head, his eyes were closed, a smile on his face as well. He spun around, lashed out with his bokken in a feint, then snapped out a kick that sent Soujiro sprawling across the floor.

The two met again in a flurry of blows, and both Sano and Kaoru took note that this time it was Soujiro who was on the defensive, dodging and blocking strikes that came fast enough to blur.

Ranma grinned as he lashed out with a snap-kick, followed by a spinning backfist, twisted sideways to away a thrust, and swept out the bokken, before kicking off the wall, flipping over Soujiro, only to resume their fast-paced exchange. He hadn't had this much fun in a long time. _He's too damn good with a sword,_ Ranma mused. _No way I can beat him with my sword alone. Heh. It's "Anything Goes", after all._ Relishing the freedom of his family's martial art, he stopped holding to the forms of kenjutsu as he fell back into the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu's unpredictability.

The pig-tailed martial artist leapt over a sideswing, and vanished before Soujiro's eyes. _Where'd he go?_ The swordsman wondered. Ranma tapped him on the shoulder from his perch on the bokken. When he turned around, Ranma smirked and leapt off the bokken, leaving Soujiro staring wide-eyed at the space where the martial artist had been balancing his entire weight on a slim piece of wood moments before. Coming down with an axe-kick, which Soujiro narrowly avoided by rolling sideways, he attempted to follow up with a strike from his bokken, but Soujiro beat him to it, putting on a burst of speed and ending up behind the martial artist.

Ranma grunted as he felt the blow glance off his forearm. _Note to self: don't block swordstrikes with any appendage._ He turned around, seeing Soujiro standing, waiting for him. The swordsman had lowered his stance, leaning back slightly, his torso turned sideways, a hand hovering over the handle of the bokken he had returned to his sash. Ranma grinned as he began tapping his feet on the ground. _He's gonna charge with the Shukuchi, and go battojutsu on me. Let's see how he likes the Amaguri-Ken._

With a yell, both combatants leapt at each other, Ranma discarding the bokken totally as he flung it into the air, yelling, "_Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-Ken_!" To the casual observer, that is, Sano, Kaoru, and Yahiko, the pig-tailed youth appeared to throw three slow punches, a good meter separating him from his opponent. For a moment, time seemed to stand still, then the silence was broken by the crackle of splintering wood as Soujiro's bokken burst into splinters, and its wielder flew back. Ranma caught his bokken from the air with a flourish, even as Soujiro staggered to his feet.

"That was most impressive," the swordsman commented as he carefully nursed the dozen or so bruises across his torso. Ranma managed a cocky grin, before clutching his forearm. "Ow...I'm never, ever parrying a sword with my bare hands again, wooden or otherwise."

"How'd he pull that off?" Sano stared. "He just blocked the _Shun-Ten-Satsu_ and broke his sword with three punches?" Kenshin smiled and left to fetch a broom, while, Soujiro and Ranma both staggered their way off the floor. "How come he fought better afterwards?" Sano mused, as he watched Kenshin sweep off the remains of the bokken.

"Sano...you missed him practice. He may be good at kenjutsu, but he lacks the same passion he has for his style of unarmed combat. It is that, which lets him excel," Kenshin replied as he continued to sweep. "It is what makes him so unbelievably strong."

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma sighed as he sat down. The fight with Soujiro had taxed him more than he had liked to let on, and, despite many attempts, he hadn't been able to disarm the swordsman. _Heh. Pops would go nuts if he found out I fought a weapon user to a draw and didn't manage to disarm him once._ He grinned at the thought. Despite the fact the two had pretty much beaten the living daylights out of each other, he had seen a fire in his opponents eyes as they sparred, a fire, he knew, that was reflected in his own eyes. He hadn't felt this alive in a long time. Not since the last time he'd fought Saffron, or Herb. Not since he'd had to rise beyond his limits to defeat an opponent.

He'd had the time of his life. Sure, afterwards he was sore as hell, but he had enjoyed the fight more than any fight he could remember in a long time. They had fought, not to defend someone who was in grave danger, they hadn't fought for any idealistic purpose, they had simply fought for the sake of fighting, to test their skills and push their limits. This was what martial arts meant to him. This was why he loved his Art, he realized, because in it, he could grow and overcome the seemingly impossible.

It was a thrill like no other.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Saito Hajime was not a happy camper. It had nothing to do with the fact that there were criminals running wild in Tokyo, no, quite the contrary, the imperial capital was quite safe. It also had nothing to do with the black-market arms smuggling ring they had just busted, in fact, that had been a job well done. His wife was even happy, and he had a lot of free time. It wasn't even the fact that Cho-the-former-swordhunter was a moron and had gotten stuck trying to arrest some small-time criminals over in Kyoto. Well, maybe that was a little part of the reason. But Saito Hajime, also known locally as police captain Fujita Goro, was bored.

He was so bored he was tempted to go and challenge the Battousai again. Their last fight had been fun, and he could only imagine how much more powerful he had gotten. After all, Himura Kenshin **had** taken down Shishio Makoto. On the other hand, Saito detested having to go visit his old nemesis. After all, one of the ex-wolves of Mibu didn't just admit he needed an old Ishin Shishi for company. Even if he was royally bored. Maybe...just maybe he could walk past the Kamiya Dojo. It would be purely coincidental, of course. He would be tracking a criminal who had come that way, and...Saito broke off his train of thought. This was pathethic. Did he really need such a wimpy excuse to come visit the dwelling of his former nemesis?

Unfortunately for him, the answer was a resounding "yes".

_V----------------------------------------V_

The sounds of fighting were clearly audible even from outside the wall surrounding the property of the Kamiya dojo. Saito smirked. Perfect. That most certainly didn't sound like sparring, and, knowing what kind of attention the former Hitokiri seemed to draw in, would most likely draw the attention of the authorities sooner or later – if only to drag away an unconscious would-be evil doer.

A shout of "_Môkô Takabisha_!" caught Saito's attention. He shook his head inwardly, wondering what fool would announce his attacks like that. _Besides, who calls an attack "pride of the fierce tiger"?_ He was about to move towards the main gate when a section of the wall next to him exploded outwards, answering his question. The former Shinsengumi stared in shock at the four-meter segment of the sturdy rock wall that had been blasted to bits, not five inches from where he stood. What added to his surprise, was the figure sitting up amidst the rubble, still smoking and a little charred, rubbing his head. "You know, Sano, you focus too much on offense. You're too slow to hit me!" a cheerful voice announced from the other side of the wall, causing said man to rise slowly from the rubble and dash in again. Sounds of violence could be heard, along with laughter, until Sanosuke flew out the hole in the wall again.

Saito had just managed to regain a grasp of reality, smirking at the bird-haired man who'd just taken another trip out of the wall. "Still as slow as ever, eh, moron?" Sano just growled in return, "I don't have time for you now, Saito, I'm busy kicking this kid's...**Saito**!" He stared at the man he had believed dead. On the other hand, knowing Saito, Sano could very well believe he'd survived having Shishio's stronghold burn down and drop on his head. The swordsman glared at the fighter-for-hire for giving away his real name.

"What the hell do you want here? And you still owe me a rematch!" Saito just smirked. "You still haven't changed your fighting style one bit, have you?"

Before the fighter-for-hire could reply, a head poked through the wall. "Yo, Sano, ya getting up, or what?" Ranma took one look at Saito, assessed the threat potential of the man in police uniform, classified him as "highly dangerous", judging from his stance and predatory eyes, and tensed, ready to move into a fighting stance in an instant.

"I'll have to kick your butt another time, kid, I got a rematch with Saito now," Sano grinned and turned to face the policeman. Saito just smirked and let out a tiny chuckle. "It looked like it was going the other way to me." He turned to Ranma. "Saito Hajime. Chief of police."

The martial artist nodded in acknowledgement. "Saotome Ranma. I'm just passing through." "Is he still as slow and brute as I remember?" Saito asked, catching a nod from Ranma. "He's a slowpoke, really, Sano, you are!" Ranma laughed as he ducked under a punch from said man, before continuing, dodging Sano's wild swings seemingly without paying any real attention to it."Relies too much on strength and the ability to absorb damage. I know someone who fights exactly the same way. Say, Sano," he turned an eyes to the man trying to hit him for a moment, "The name Hibiki ring any bells?"

Saito watched in amusement as Sano continued to try to hit Ranma, while the latter continued to dodge, not showing any signs of exertion. "Stay...still...and let me...hit...you!" Sano ground out as he slowed down, panting heavily. Ranma just stood before him and smirked. "Slowpoke! Sano's a slowpoke!" He sing-sung, drawing a glare from the older man.

"I was in the area and heard a disturbance. I assume it was the two of you sparring?" Saito asked. He really couldn't call it sparring, though. Sano was doing all the hitting, all the while hitting nothing at all, while Ranma didn't even need to fight back to defeat the bird-haired man. "Yup!" Ranma replied cheerfully. Soujiro just ain't good without a sword, so I asked Sano." At the mention of the ex-Tenken's name, Saito's eyebrow shot up. "Tenken no Soujiro is here?"

"Was. He left a while ago. Said he was gonna wander through the country some more," Ranma replied, leaping over a kick from Sano. "What do you want with him?" Saito smirked. "I am supposed to arrest him. He is a wanted terrorist, after all. But, so far we haven't been able to find a trace of him," the Shinsengumi admitted, the hint of a smile playing around his lips. Ranma caught the connotation, and grinned back. "Yeah, well, I don't think you're gonna catch him anytime soon. By the way, he said you'd come by one of these days. He asked us to tell you, and I quote, '_aku, soku, zan_', whatever that means."

Saito continued to smirk. "It seems the Tenken has found what he was looking for. Tell me, is the Battousai still adverse to killing people?" "Yeah. Not like that's gonna change anytime soon," Ranma glanced at Sano, who by now was leaning against the outer wall. "That reminds me, what **does** it mean, anyway?"

"It was the motto of the Shinsengumi. A patrol group of swordsmen that took up their weapons during the Bakumatsu and brought order to the chaos of Kyoto. 'Evil must be slain immediately' was their warcry. They were feared for their skills with the sword, and ruthlessly enforced the peace in the city. They were cruel, but effective. Peace was kept, even through the bloodshed of the Bakumatsu," Kenshin said as he came up from behind them. "Kaoru-dono won't be happy with the wall, Ranma-kun." Ranma glanced at the destuction he had caused, and had the good sense to look abashed, scratching the base of his pigtail.

"Oops. Guess I overdid it a little."

Kenshin stared at the pig-tailed boy for a moment, before asking, "What are you doing here, Saito?" There was a golden glimmer in his eyes. "Nothing, Battousai. I heard there was a disturbance here, and came to investigate. Knowing this place, the authorities were going to get involved in any mess you get yourself into sooner or later."

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma stared up at the stars. He was lying on his back on the roof of the dojo, glad that he could see the stars more clearly than in his own time, as there was no pollution, no skyscrapers obscuring the view. It was a peaceful sight, and never failed to calm him down. He sighed. For the moment, he was free of his problems, but they were just waiting to erupt again once he returned. And he had no doubt that he **would** return, honor demanded it.

The pigtailed martial artist's thoughts drifted to his more recent problems. When he had killed that man he had turned from the path of a martial artist. Martial artists protected those weaker than them, doing everything they could to preserve life, even that of their enemies. He had, if even for a brief moment, turned away from that and taken a step down the warrior's path.

A warrior's duty was the same as a martial artist's, Ranma mused. He had talked at length with his hosts about it in the three days he had stayed, and all agreed that warriors, like Soujiro and Saito, protected the weak. But unlike a martial artist, a warrior did whatever had to be done to protect the weak and enforce justice. If those opposing him needed to be killed, he did so swiftly and without regret.

He lifted his hands and stared at them, knowing they were now stained with the blood of his lost innocence. He had never killed in cold blood before, never even imagined he had the power to do so. _What would the others say? What would Mom think? Kasumi? Ucchan?_ It was, as Kenshin had told him, a step that irrevocably led down the warrior's path. Was he ready for this? Would he be able to slay those who threatened those he held dear without hesitation, if need be? He didn't think so, but the ease with which he had taken that one slaver's life on the road told him he would be very much able to do so.

Sighing, he tried to conjure up happier memories, of the times when he had fought just for the sake of fighting, to feel the thrill of combat. The times when he had been a true martial artist, when such thoughts about killing and death had never even entered his mind. The times when he had fought for the sake of the Art.

"I'm not a killer..." Ranma whispered, wishing those thoughts out of his head. He would never, ever kill again. The ease with which he had taken a life frightened him, as did his lack of control. He had been angry, and terribly so, disgusted at the practice of slavery, fueled by a desire for revenge after seeing someone close to him hurt, he had been angry at his inability to stop these events. "I'm in control. I'm not a killer. I'm a martial artist," he chanted, repeating the words over and over in his mind.

He could still remember waking up screaming from a nightmare two days ago, and the day before. Blood running down the walls of an invisible prison, noncorporeal voices whispering the promises of power, and of the price to pay. It was then that he admitted even Saotome Ranma was scared. He knew this was what had driven Kenshin to never kill again, he had snapped out of the bloodlust of the Bakumatsu to find himself in a nightmare of his own making. Others had willingly chosen that nightmare to guard other people's right to live a peaceful life. It was the ultimate sacrifice that could be made. And Ranma admitted, he was scared of it. He was scared of killing again, or loosing control of his power, of accidentally hurting those he loved. He realized he would never be able to kill in cold blood, and that was what he was truly afraid of. If he killed, it would be because he lost control of his actions.

He **was** a martial artist, first and foremost. He knew it hurt to see other people suffer, and he knew he would do whatever was in his power to prevent it, but he wouldn't kill. That was the one border he would not, could not cross. It was a selfish decision, he knew, but he couldn't bring himself to kill. That didn't mean he wouldn't beat people like those slavers to within an inch of their miserable lives, but he swore to himself, he would never again loose control and kill.

That meant more training. He had to learn to control himself better, to gain full control of the power he wielded. In a flash of inspiration he realized why Happosai and Ryoko had set him the task of mastering the Neko-ken. It was the single, most unpredictable and arguably most lethal aspect of him. If he got trapped in the feral state anything could happen, and any number of people could wind up dead or crippled. It was a responsibility he didn't want to live with.

"Well, I guess I better get back to looking for some help on the Neko-ken," Ranma muttered, smiling slightly.

"Ready to go back yet?" A female voice asked from behind him. Ranma cocked his head to bring the newcomer into his field of vision. Urd was standing there, her long silver hair shimmering in the moonlight. A small smile played around her lips. "You already know the answer to that question." Ranma never ceased to smile as he rose and pulled out the glittering shard. "You were the one who sent me back, and I thank you for it."

"Oh? What happened to that naive martial arts jock I used to know?" Urd asked in mock surprise, drawing a chuckle from Ranma. "He grew up a little. What about them? Isn't it against the rules to mess with the timeline, or something?" He asked, gesturing towards the house. "They won't remember," Urd replied.

Nothing much had changed, he reflected, as he shed a tear on the piece of the Nanban Mirror. He was still Saotome Ranma, of the Musabetsu Kakuto Saotome-Ryu. He was still an aquatranssexual martial artist with enough women problems to make Casanova proud, and who had enough people after him to take out an entire infantry division. And he still loved his Art.


	10. Chapter Ten: Dance of the Wind

Author's Rant: Hm...which of Ranma's problems to solve next? Guess I'll go for the fiancee one! First of all, thanks for the kind reviews on the fight with Soujiro...I personally thought I rather screwed it up there. As for a fight with Saito...uhm...he doesn't really strike me as a person to go for a friendly spar...more like a life-or-death fight. Anyway, this chapter has a sorta-camo appereance of someone you might recognize.

Hm...short one this time. I'll let you guys get back to the story – enjoy!

Chapter Ten: Dance of the Wind

The temple before him had definitely seen better days, Ranma mused. The Nanban mirror had, while returning him to his own time, deposited him somewhere in the middle of nowhere of Japan. The temple was half a ruin, with most of the outer wall reduced to rubble, vegetation growing all over the place and breaking through the tiles of the front courtyard. The building itself had seen better days, and Ranma could swear the roof was a little crooked. Still, it wouild do as shelter for the night. He had debated camping out in the forest when he had stumbled across it. Still, a crooked roof was better than no roof over his head. And in the state the temple was in, it was most likely unoccupied – after all, who would be staying in a half-ruin of a temple in the middle of nowhere?

When Ranma stepped into the building, though, he was in for a surprise. A woman was moving across the barren floor, working through a complicated kata with her fan. Her raven-black hair was tied back in a short swordsman's ponytail that stopped just above her shoulders, sweat was glistening on her brow as though she had been working her forms for a while, and she was wearing a nearly-immaculate red and white kimono. He stared, wide-eyed, as she finished up with her back towards him. "Are you just going to stand there all day, or introduce yourself?" Her voice had a chill to it that was devoid of hostility, but not necessarily friendly, either. It made a chill run down Ranma's spine.

She turned around, and Ranma froze as his storm blue eyes met her blood red ones. "I'm Saotome Ranma...sorry 'bout this," he stuttered out the now-familiar phrase. The woman nodded and slipped her fan into the sleeve of her kimono. "My name is Kagura. What brings you out here, Saotome Ranma?" He noted she stood relaxed, one hand still inside her sleeve, ready to draw her fan and attack, if need be. "I was wandering through these woods and was looking for a place to camp out the night when I saw the temple. I thought it was abandoned so I could spend the night here." She chuckled sheepishly. "Guess I'll go and camp out outside somewhere. Sorry."

"Wait." He turned around at the sound of her voice. "You may stay for the night, if you wish. It has been a while since I have had company. It gets...lonely out here." Ranma stared. "If you keep staring at me like that, I just might change my mind," she told him with a hint of amusement. The pig-tailed martial artist realized just what part of her body he'd been staring at, and blushed. "Sorry. Thanks for letting me stay. What are you doing out here, anyway?"

A sad smile hushed across her lips before she replaced it with a neutral look. "I'm too dangerous to live around."

_V----------------------------------------V_

The fire crackled, casting light into the growing shadows of the coming night. The smell of something cooking wafted across the courtyard, where Ranma had set up his camping gear and was preparing dinner. "That smells wonderful," Kagura said from the door. The pig-tailed martial artist turned around, glancing at the woman. "Dinner's almost ready. Least I could do for you letting me stay here."

They ate in amiable silence, staring at the stars as they finished and waited for the fire to die out. "What did you mean, you're too dangerous to live around?" Ranma finally asked. "I...am more powerful than anyone has a right to be. It is easy for me to take the lives of others if I loose control. I won't risk that." Her tone had a finality to it that told him she wouldn't talk further about this topic. "Why are you here? I've lived in this temple for...a long time, and have never seen anyone passing through these woods."

"Pretty much same reason as you have for staying here, I guess," Ranma replied, glancing at her. Her red eyes were...unsettling, to say the least. "I am looking for a way to control the Neko-ken." Her shocked gasp startled him. When he turned around to face her, he could see a mixture of fear and hate in her eyes. "You carry the Neko-ken? And you retained your sanity?" she nearly hissed.

"No. I still go cat, but it's not permanent. I can be snapped out of it, but if I am around a cat for too long, the Neko-ken takes over. It's too powerful to be uncontrolled, that's why I'm here." He could see her relax her guard slightly, but was still taken aback at the sudden hostility she showed. "Who did this to you?"

"My worthless excuse for a father," he told her, his voice flat. It was the same tone she had used to conclude the topic about her moments before. "What style do you practice?" He finally asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen, trying to steer the topic away from both their pasts.

"It doesn't have a name," she told him simply. "I have never had to use it again, and swore to never use it against a living opponent ever again."

Morning found Ranma waking up to a slight rustle on the ground. He cracked an eye open and waited for his vision to adjust to the sunlight, then opened his eyes fully. "Awake, I see," Kagura greeted him, never stopping her kata as she danced around him on the empty floor, barely making a sound. The kata was unlike any he had ever seen, and as he sat up, the pig-tailed martial artist took his time and studied the woman.

She was moving surely, but as quietly as he'd only seen Shinobi move. Her stances and steps made the kata seem like a dance of sorts, she never remained in any place for long, and the moves were streamlined and exuded elegance. It reminded him of that martial arts ballroom dancing contest he had entered once, except for the fact he could see the underlying fighting techniques, deadly strikes that seemed like a casual flick of the wrist or tiny distortions that gave away the ki that was used when she put down her foot. She was smiling and had her eyes closed as she continued, sweat running down her face.

It was like something he had only heard about. This was what others had told him his kata looked like, a dance, more than anything else. A form of art. Kagura moved slowly, but he could see her hand flash out with her fan and resume its previous position at speeds even he had trouble seeing. Her right arm came around in a slow arc as she pivoted on her left foot, spinning in place, her kimono whipping around her as she returned to a ready stance, set to begin anew. _Dance of the wind,_ flashed through his mind.

This time, Ranma joined her. Standing opposite her, he ignored her surprised look and closed his eyes, extending his ki and letting his battle aura flare to life. He could feel the ki she was expending with every move, could feel where she directed it, and she could feel his. She moved around him, sliding forward and sideways in a manner that made it seem she was floating across the floor, and he parried her thrust, blocked her slash, and countered.

Ranma relaxed as he moved in perfect harmony with her, each strike or thrust perfectly countered. This was an excercise unlike any he had seen. Kagura was moving so incredibly slow, but her movements were elegant and perfectly controlled, unlike his usual fast-paced, furious shadow fights. They could feel the ki the other expended, relying on their intuition and instincts as they moved across the room, never making a sound louder than the rustle of the leaves outside.

He lost himself in the excercise, relishing the control he felt, the pure joy at practicing his art, and the harmony they were moving in. He didn't need to see to know the beauty of her style. He could barely believe this was a way of fighting to her, it felt more like they were...dancing. Partners in a choreographed waltz, it seemed. Moving to an imaginary music, it seemed like an elaborate slowdance, yet he knew that if any of her strikes connected, her opponent would be dead in an instant. He had recognized several of the areas she had targeted as vital pressure points and vital areas that would cause nearly immediate death if struck properly.

He could almost feel the smile cross her face as they continued in complete synchronization, and could feel the sheer joy she was radiating. In a way, she was like him, he mused. Both loved their art, yet both feared what it could do to others.

When they finally finished, the sun had fully risen over the horizon and was standing high in the sky. Ranma opened his eyes to a serenely smiling Kagura, and realized he was copying that smile. He loved his art for the thrill of battle, but here was another aspect that deserved his admiration, the beauty of movement, the grace inherent to them, the harmony they felt.

"It's beautiful," he said simply. "It is," she agreed. "It's also lethal. Any of those could have killed you instantly," she told him reproachingly. Ranma shrugged and smirked as he replied. "The path of a martial artist is fraught with peril," he quoted.

"Thank you," she whispered. "It has been a long time since I enjoyed an excercise like that. It is nice to be able to share it with someone." "No big deal. It might have given me a new perspective on things, as well. You emphasize control over power, focus over speed. It is what makes it so beautiful, I think."

Taking a look at the sky, Ranma turned and reached for his pack. "Time for me to leave, I guess. Thanks for letting me stay. It was fun." He smiled, and it widened as he saw her return it with one of her own. "It has been enjoyable. Before you go, I have something to tell you." She gestured towards the porch, and both moved outside.

"You have shown me that my art...is an art first and foremost. It is a thing of beauty, and I have found my joy again in it, I thank you for that," she told him. "I will tell you something about the Neko-ken."

"As you know, it is taught by leaving the trainee in a pit of starving felines. The trainee has to be a young child because of the way the Neko-ken works. You know about basic survival instincts?" At Ranma's nod, she continued.

"When confronted with life-threatening situations, the mind tends to shut down and let the body take over. These conditioned reflexes usually take you out of danger, or enable you to do so. The Neko-ken conditions the child's body and mind to do the same thing. It ingrains a deep fear of cats, because of the immense hurt they cause, traumatizing the trainee for life. I'll tell you now, there is no cure for the Neko-ken." She held up a hand, forestalling any comments. "But it can be controlled. It is a difficult process, and I haven't seen anyone with the strength of will to master it yet. Then again, I haven't seen any who weren't trapped in the feral state yet."

She turned to stare directly into his eyes, her gaze seemingly going through his entire being as she seemed to look into his sould. "The Neko-ken is the manifestation of your basic survival instincts. You body is conditioned so that when a survival situation comes up – an encounter with a cat – your mind shuts down when a very strong and uncontrollable emotion appears, and your body takes over. Your fear of cats is the trigger for the Neko-ken, but any powerful emotion that would be too much for your mind to take would do. You need to control your mind's reaction, in order to control the Neko-ken."

Ranma stared at her for a moment. "So you're saying I need to find something stronger than my fear of cats to latch on, but something I have control over? That way I'd still fall into the Neko-ken, but I'd be able to control it?" At her nod, he sighed. _Oh boy...Stupid oyaji and his stupid ideas. If it weren't for him, I'd be...How the heck do I find something sronger than my fear of c-c-cats?_ Kagura saw the pig-tailed martial artist shudder for a moment. "I didn't say it would be easy, and it is all just a guess."

"It's also the best shot I have," Ranma noted. "No one else has even come close to explaining the Neko-ken as well as you have." He stood up and hefted his pack. "Thanks for the advice. Now I at least have an idea of what to try. I think I better get going now. Live well."

"Farewell, Saotome Ranma. I don't expect to see you here again," she replied as he left into the forest.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Sweat was running down his face, his eyes clenched shut in concentration and anxiety. Carefully, he put a hand into the sack, grabbed hold of what was in it, and slowly, so very slowly, lifted it out. He cracked one eye open a tiny little bit, then a little more, forcing his body to react. "Meow," came from the cat, and all went black.

"Ranma. Ranma. Ranma...Ranma..."

The pig-tailed martial artist awoke with a start. Opening his eyes, he found only darkness, and feared he was still trapped in his mind, while the Neko-ken roamed free, until he made out the distinct light of a campfire. "Finally decided to wake up?" A familiar voice asked from next to him. He slowly turned his head and supported himself on his elbows as he tried to shake away the last bits of disorientation after falling into the feral state. "Kagura?" In the dim light he could make out the silhouette of the temple building that was the woman's residence, and he wondered what he had done while he'd gone cat. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I heard a scream and ran towards it. Then I found you in a clearing. You were caught in the Neko-ken." She checked the fire for a moment, before returning her attention to him. "You were rather calm, not like the beserkers it usually produces. I brought you back here after you fell alseep." Ranma nodded and groaned as that caused a major headache to start up. "Thanks...oww...what's with the headache? That usually don't happen after the Neko-ken..."

"I don't know, I'm not familiar with a case like yours. What caused you to lapse into it?" Ranma grinned wryly. "Self-experiment. Wanted ta see if I could get the hang of what you said earlier." Glancing down at himself, covered in wood chips and splinters as he was, he sighed. "Didn't work all that well, apparently. Gotta find something else to focus on before I go cat."

"What did you try out?"

"Let's see...confidence and depression. Although I'd rather not try to get depressed again. One Ryoga is enough for the world..." He shuddered. "Didn't want to try anger. I'm...too dangerous when I'm angry." He lapsed into silence as he stared at his hands, unbidden memories of the dead body of the man he'd killed returning. "You fear loosing your control to your anger, it's understandable. Have you ever killed in rage?" Kagura suddenly asked.

"Yeah. Once. It ain't something I'm proud of. I'm a martial artist, not a warrior. I don't kill," he hissed. "That is good to hear. The time for warriors ended long ago. They have no place in today's world...lives are too valuable for that. The few that are left...are relics of times that had best be forgotten." Ranma almost missed it when she added in a whisper, "like me."

"What do you mean?" He was glad for anything that could get him off the subject of death. It brought too many unwanted memories. "I...don't belong in this time," she finally told him after a long pause. "I was raised as a warrior, learned to slay without remorse from an early age, and I did...because I had to. Avenging my father's death, defending myself and my mother as we made our living on the streets. I loved my art, but with each life it took, it became more of a tool and less of a passion."

She tossed a dry piece of ember into the fire, watching the sparks fly for a moment. "It became so easy to kill...and so hard to stop. I have never drawn my weapon against a human being again after I avenged my father. It was the last time I killed, and the one time I didn't regret it. After that I wandered around, and I soon found out that warriors like myself were dying out. Evil wasn't slain anymore, it was locked away and redeemed. It was given a chance. And now, I am left with nothing. All I learned, all I have, is my art, and it's purpose is to take life. I refuse to take life, therefore my art is useless. I am nothing, someone who doesn't fit into this world. Someone who doesn't belong here, someone too dangerous to live with. If I ever drew my weapon against another person again, I could slay dozens in a matter of moments, and I refuse to take that risk."

Ranma sat back, shifting so he was leaning against a rock. "You know, you're wrong." At her curious stare, he continued, "martial arts...isn't a tool for killing. Martial arts is a way of living." _I can't believe I'm giving philosophical advice,_ he thought. "I love my Art as much as you do, because it makes me feel whole. When I fight, I can fly. When I fight, I can dream. When I fight, I can dance. I told you before, that excercise you showed me was beautiful. It could kill, but it was...more beautiful than any kata I've seen. I saw the joy on your face when you ran through it. A martial artist practices his Art not for killing, not for money, or anything else – you do it for yourself, and no one else. I love my Art because I can grow. I am the best, and have to stay the best, it is a constant challenge, and I love it. Nothing is really impossible when you put your mind to it, **that**'s what martial arts is about."

Pausing from his speech for a moment, Ranma glanced up at the stars. He lifted an arm, reaching out as if to touch them, catch them and bring them down to him. "I dream, Kagura. And in my dreams, I fly. I can go up there and catch myself a star. I am a martial artist because I can dream, and I can make these dreams come true."

"I...I wish I could love the Art again,"she slowly began. "But there's already too much blood on my hands. I killed more people than I could keep track of. I don't want to risk loosing control again. It isn't worth it." Ranma just smiled as he replied. "Oh, but you're wrong. It is. Because, when you truly love the Art, it will guide you away from the warrior's path. I was tempted to become one, to be able to protect those around me. You know what kept me back?"

Kagura shook her head, prompting him to reply. "It was the Art. I couldn't, wouldn't sacrifice it, or my honor for taking a life. In the end, I wasn't willing to make that sacrifice, but I still have my Art. Because I love the Art, I'm forcing myself to learn control, because I respect and value it too much to degrade it to being a tool for hurting people. I can protect those around me...without taking lives." Ranma took a deep breath, wincing slightly as the headache got worse. "Ya know, if you ever need a decent fight, come visit me," he was practically grinning. "On second thought, if you do, better watch out for flying mallets, spatulas, roses, and paralysis powder."

_V----------------------------------------V _

Morning found Ranma on the road again. He'd said his final goodbye to the odd woman in a kimono with the piercing red eyes who he had spent the last two days with, and set off again. If one looked closely, he was smiling, and was striding forward with more energy and determination than he had before. He was a step closer to making sense of the Neko-Ken, one step closer to mastering it. And, after all, Saotome Ranma never looses.

Now, all he had to do was figure out something he could use to override the fear of cats. The pig-tailed martial artist sighed at that. That was the whole problem. There wasn't much he knew that he had ever felt that was stronger than the complete and utter terror he experienced when near a feline. _Except the anger and hate I felt the day I killed that slaver,_ he mused, shuddering. _No, I'm not gonna try out anger._

Then there was the other matter he had to think about, of course. His hand went into his backpack, fingering the envenlope that contained a letter to his mother and the Tendos. He had promised to keep in touch. But writing the letter had reminded him of the problems waiting for his return. He had realized that he had been putting off his responsibilities towards the girls for too long. They had dedicated themselves to him, and he'd done nothing to warrant that dedication. He would have to make a choice when he returned home. It wasn't a particularly easy decision, he admitted, but one that had to be made. He would get control over his Art and his life. Might as well start with the fiancee mess.

As he sat down to rest and meditate before continuing his journey, his mind was still occupied with each of the young women that each held a special meaning to him. His father never believed in meditation, preferring the "hard arts" over defensive and meditative techniques like Tai Chi and Yoga, but Ranma had discovered they came in quite useful. It calmed his mind and body, and he had found out – by accident – that he wasn't as scared of cats while caught in meditation.

_V----------------------------------------V_

_Akane._ Friendship, love, trust, betrayal. Cute, he added almost as an afterthought. Unstable, too. Those were the first things that came to mind when he thought of his "unwanted" fiancee. Thinking of her hurt, these days. They hadn't gotten along well since the day he had crossed the threshold of the Tendo home, but that was as much his fault as hers, he thought. He knew he hadn't been the most polite or sensitive person; being raised by Genma on the road had left him uncouth and brash, and it showed.

Still, what did he feel when he thought of her? He knew he didn't fear her, he could take her out in a serious fight without breaking a sweat. Did he love her? He remembered Kasumi asking him that very same question once. He had told her the truth then: he didn't love her, not anymore. There was too much bad blood between them for that, now. Friends, they could be, but a relationship would never work out anymore. He trusted her, he knew that. He liked her, even. But those feelings seemed tainted somehow, and for the sake of his life the young martial artist couldn't figure out why.

His mind drifted back to that fateful day he had arrived at the Tendo home and had turned their world upside-down. It had rained, they had arrived, and the Tendos had been understandably shocked. He mused as he recalled his first impressions of the three sisters. Kasumi, the gentle angel, who was so pure and beautiful that nothing ever seemed to faze her, but with sadness buried so deep within her that seemed to be a crime to exist. Nabiki, eyes shining with a keen intelligence that showed a lot of potential, but tainted with regret and resentment for the world that had taken her mother away. And Akane, the strong, independent martial artist, with a strong sense of pride and an ego that rivalled his own.

Akane had seemed so nice at first. "Want to be friends?" the words echoed in his mind. He had thought he'd finally found a friend, a companion to share adventures and stories with, but more importantly, someone who could provide some sense of stability in his life. Of course, that had been too good to be true and only lasted until she found out he wasn't really a girl. The fathers hadn't helped, either, but ever since she retracted her friendly words and her stare turned hostile and outright hateful, he had felt a deep resentment towards her, and a deep feeling of hurt and regret.

It was betrayal, he knew. He had fought for her, protected her, stuck by her. He had trusted her. It was a courtesy she never extended to him. Kasumi never hurt him, except for that first day when she hoisted him off on Akane, but he could understand that. Nabiki used him to turn a profit, but he understood her motives, and she had actually started to ask his permission to take photos of him. She had claimed they were more profitable if he was actually posing, but deep down Ranma believed the true reason was something else. Akane had no good reason, other than that first day and her dislike of the male part of the human species. How the girl could claim to hate boys and like men was beyond him.

He had trusted her. She had denounced him. He had protected her. She had abused him. Considering all things together, no matter how rusty his math skills, this was one equation even he realized didn't work out. Akane had her moments, but her smile had grown rarer and her insults had become more frequent. Part of that, he knew, had been the Amazon potion at work, but even that hadn't done much except weaken some inner barriers against violence and releasing her emotions.

No, Akane would never work out.

_V----------------------------------------V_

_Shampoo_. The name of the Amazon brought a shudder to him. The person who had first chased him across most of mainland China with intent to kill him, then followed him to Japan and carved a wide path of chaos and havoc while seeking to marry him. She was forward, aggressive, and determined. A little too forward, as far as Ranma was concerned. He didn't like her glomps one bit, but there was only one place he could push her to get her to release him...and he sure as hell wasn't going to put his hands **there**.

What he had seen, though, made his opinion of her waver. While at times ignorant and a tad insensitive – Ranma almost snorted at the fact that he of all people was calling someone else insensitive – was in no unclear terms devoted. Even though no one seemed to have noticed, he had seen the look in her eyes when she looked at him. It was the same look Ukyo had, one that Shampoo had developed only a while after she returned with Cologne. Still, it was there nonetheless.

Ranma prided himself at being able to read people well, it was a necessary skill in combat. And if he read Shampoo right, she had developed some actual feelings for him. Her eyes had changed over time, as had her attitude. For her, this had gone from a simple hunt to something more important...to finding an equal, a mate, a friend, someone she had found could best her in combat and make her push her limits.

In a way, they were both similar, he mused. Both were champions of their respective enclaves. Both were at the top, fighting a constant challenge to stay there, because they had nothing else. Both were lonely, shunned or hunted and challenged by those envying their positions. And then, she had found someone who viewed her as an equal in fighting, who could challenge her and defeat her, who would make her challenge herself. He knew he didn't exactly see Shampoo this way...but she did.

She was beautiful, there was no denying that, especially since she still continued to wear her short Chinese dresses. They didn't leave much to the imagination, but Ranma wasn't one to be caught with looks alone. He knew Shampoo was more intelligent than most believed, more intelligent than her broken Japanese let on. She treated him well, and showed some actual affection, even if she did overdo it at times. Then there was Cologne with her potions and herbs and knowledge of shiatsu. She was a dangerous oppononent, indeed, even outside of combat. To be honest, he was getting tired of avoiding potions and protecting everyone from their side-effects.

But she was also bound by her traditions and customs, he realized. While Shampoo might see him as an equal, the rest of the village would not. If he followed her, he would remain a second-class citizen for life, never being able to take as active a role as he wished, always remaining in the shadow of his wife. It was something he would never concede to. It was against his nature.

He could come to like her, as a friend, as an ally, as a brother. Never as a lover. He knew she was willing to fight for and with him, to sacrifice for him, she had proven that when they had followed Kirin to his home to retrieve Akane. She had taken on the guard of one of the gates of the Seven Lucky Gods by herself, so he could continue on. Like Akane, there was too much counting against her now.

_V----------------------------------------V_

_Ukyo_. She was probably his oldest friend, the one he had found he held immediate affection for when he realized who she was. She was the one who knew him best, who he could find he liked easily. He knew her, or at least, he felt confident he did, and had been friendly to him – that incident during her arrival notwithstanding. He felt sadness for her, and remorse for being the cause of her abandonment, even if only indirectly.

She was the one he missed most from his memories, wishing to relive those carefree and happy days where they would talk and fight and play. He had been happy back then, having no idea of just how much Genma had screwed up his life. He knew Ukyo was hell-bent on marrying him. He also knew she cared for him as something more than a friend, but cared enough to be just a friend when he needed one. She listened to him, talked to him, and he knew he felt better after talking to Ucchan.

She respected his wishes, and knew he had to make his own decisions. Ukyo also had never pushed the issue as much as the others had, unless one counted her involvement in the failed wedding and the occassional squabble with his other fiancees. He had forgiven them for the wedding, and knew the fights between them were required. It was something to show their rivalry, but he also knew they enjoyed the fights to an extent. Ukyo and Shampoo were excellent martial artists – they weren't close to his or Ryoga's level, but formidable in their own rights – and seemed to relish being able to fight with another of equal skill.

He loved Ukyo. Ranma admitted to that. But he was wary of the kind of love she wanted from him. He saw her as a sister, as his childhood friend, a confidente, sidekick, companion. He had needed a friend when they had met the first time, and he had latched on to her. He had needed a friend the second time they met, and she had been there for him again. She deserved better, he knew, but he couldn't offer her more. And he wouldn't trap her in the loveless marriage that would result if they married now, on the spot.

She would always be the friend who had been there when he needed her, but he couldn't see her as anything else right now.

_V----------------------------------------V _

_Kasumi_. Ranma didn't know why he included her in his list of fiancees, but he knew he had begun to see her as something other than the surrogate mother she had been. He had noticed the subtle way she carried herself, with a grace and fluidity that was as elegant as his own, yet more refined, more fitting for her. More feminine, was the only way he could think to describe it.

She was a beautiful young woman, all that one could hope for, friendly, compassionate, gentle. She seemed to like him, as well, though he was unclear on exactly where they stood. She seemed to like Tofu-sensei, and that the good doctor returned her sentiments – at least, judging from the way he acted around her - however, there was the little problem with his condition whenever she was around. Then again, neither had openly expressed anything but friendship for the other, so he wasn't sure. Kasumi, he reflected, was easy to read. Superficially, at least. She seemed to be always cheerful, always happy with a ready smile on her face.

It had taken Ranma a while to figure her out, to spot traces of the hidden pain he had seen a glimpse of that first day. She buried the pain of her mother's death under a facade of false happiness, taking over her mother's role. He nearly smiled as he realized the implications. They, too, had things in common. They both had to be strong in their respective disciplines, both could never afford to show any weakness. Both had only one thing that kept them going: he, his Art, she, her family.

He could understand her reaction that first day, pushing him off to Akane. He had seen the surprise and fear in her eyes when he transformed. It was in the human nature to fear and resent the unnatural, the things that were different. And at that time, she had feared him. She was one person he was determined to see happy, she deserved it, he reflected. He couldn't find it in his heart to resent her for anything, should she choose not to engage in a relationship with him.

He would have to find out exactly where they stood when he returned, but he knew one thing with absolute clarity: she was one of the three women he would protect unconditionally and with all he had. Because she, Ukyo, and his mother were the only family he had, and may the kami have mercy on those who would try to hurt them.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Within the deepest levels of Niflheim, in what truly could be called hell, for the fires of damnation burned brightly there, two people stirred. One smirked, even as the flames licked angrily at them, because he could feel it. The backup plan he had put into motion was working, and the seals keeping them there were weakening. The minor geas he had put on a number of people would ensure that.

Soon, he would be free. And then, he would have his revenge. Heaven would fall. It was only a matter of time. And, of course, he was patient. The first time he had appeared on the mortal plane had only served to begin his plan, after all. The best was yet to come.

_V----------------------------------------V_

It was night in Joketsuzoku, and most people were deep asleep, except for the outer perimeter guards. Not all of those asleep rested well, however. Two particular elders shared the same, vivid dream of blood and death. Bodies of Amazon warriors were strewn around the ground, as they waded through ankle-high blood as it covered the ground. This was the one thing they had truly been afraid of, as they lived in the vicinity of two powerful people, who would have no qualms about crushing them completely.

The Musk had their innate ki abilities and strength, due to their draconic heritage, and Prince Herb was the living example of that. The man exuded an aura of power that excelled even that of the most experienced elders of the Joketsuzoku. He was a dangerous man, indeed, even if few liked to admit it.

Then there were the Phoenix, whose natural resistance to fire and ability to control the fiery element made them dangerous opponents, coupled with their wings that enabled them to shower swift death from above to all those who opposed them. Both tribes in itself were insignificant, compared to the Joketsuzoku...but both together would not only outnumber them, but also overpower them. That was the secret reason behind the Amazons' rigid training, behind their unyielding quest to ever bring new strong blood into their tribe, no matter the cost.

Because they knew that one day, the Musk and Phoenix would stop tolerating the intruders in their valley, would stop to tolerate those who had attempted to wipe out their ancestors, and would retaliate. When that day came, when the strength of the Musk and the fire of the Phoenix started to rain upon them, the only thing that would hold them back would be their warriors and their hard-earned skills in martial combat.

Women screamed, and sadistic laughter was heard. Explosions rattled the very ground Brush was standing on, valiantly holding her lance as she warded off the Musk soldier before her. Death was everywhere. The whole village was dead, there was no sense in fighting on. Yet she did...why, she would never know. Pride? Maybe. Hope? Certainly not. There was no hope left for them. Revenge? She couldn't even come close to unleashing the destruction upon their enemies that they had unto the Joketsuzoku.

The lance was knocked out of her hands by a powerful blast of ki, and she closed her eyes and braced herself for the pain that would end her ancient existence. It never came, even as the world went dark. _This is your nightmare..._a voice uttered in the complete silence around her._ If there were a way around it, would you take it?_ Then her vision returned, this time to a different battlefield. Amazons were fighting once more, pushing back Musk warriors and Phoenix alike, pursuing them all the way to the Musk Citadel and Jusendo. _This is what it could be, if you wish. This is what I could grant you._

The elder Amazon shook her head. She would not be so easily swayed. _Then you shall have the blood of your brethren on your hands._ The vision shifted back to that of a devstated Joketsuzoku. _All it would take for your sisters to survive is to ask me for my strength._


	11. Chapter Eleven: Beginning Conflict

Author's Note: Couple things first. There seems to have been a misunderstanding back in chapter 10, and I apologize for not stating it explicitly, but when Ranma meets Kagura (and yes, its the Kagura from Inu-Yasha, with a couple hundred years to grow up) he's back in his own time. I fixed that (added a tiny lil sentence to the beginning of that chapter, so you won't have to re-read it).

Now, here's the outcome of the vote so far:

Kasumi: 15

Kagura: 24

Looks like Kagura wins...by a lot. But I don't really feel right leaving Kasumi hang like this. Err...there were a couple people who proposed I do both, I'm kinda forced to agree with , who stated in uh...his/her review that it'd go against Ranma's code of honor to engage in a relationship with both of them at the same time...and I'm not really sure I could pull it off, either. So, here's what I'm gonna do. I'll take Author Dudicoff drop's advice and separate the storylines from here. I'll finish this first with a Ranma/Kasumi pairing, then come back and rewrite the chapters for a Ranma/Kagura pairing. The revisions will take place during Arc 3, so you don't have to worry about them for now. I'll most likely attach the extra chapters at the end of the story with a side note to identify them. For now, "Mastery" is about to begin its conclusion, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

By the way, this chapter contains elements (for those of you who recognize them) of SNK's "The Last Blade 2." (See if you can find the references, hehe). I don't own that, either. Also, for those who enjoy the fight scenes, I'm terribly sorry they haven't been up to standard, but I've drawn a blank when it comes to them, lately. Or maybe the fights weren't all that important. In any case, sorry 'bout that.

Also, I apologize for the screwy formatting, seems like MS-Word doesn't like me double-spacing anything or even putting a line in between, so I had to resort to some exotic measures to signify scene changes.

Chapter Eleven: Beginning Conflict

Cologne looked up as she felt a strong surge of ki enter through the doors of the Neko-hanten. She held back her gasp of surprise, but her ancient eyes betrayed her shock at seeing a full Amazon war party being led into her restaurant by one of her fellow elders. "Khu Lon, we would have words with you!" an ancient voice crowed in Chinese. She left her place behind the counter and moved around the kitchen to meet them.

"What is it, Brush? Sho Pu?" Cologne started to get worried as she let her gaze wander across the assembled Amazons. The restaurant had bee all but vacated as the group of heavily armed women had entered. Brush and Soap were two of the more...radical elders of their tribe. She had no doubt that they would have no qualms to resort to violence and deception to get whatever they wanted.

"You have failed to bring back the outsider male who disgraced your great-granddaughter, and as such, disgraced our tribe. We are here to fix that. You have two days to bring him back to Joketsuzoku, or we shall take matters into our hands." The small figure leading the party spoke. Brush was the second eldest on the council of elders, and was the Amazon's weapons master. Soap was the keeper of their magical knowledge. Now, Cologne knew she had reason to be extremely cautious and worried. If those two chose to involve themselves, any number of things could happen.

"I do not know where Ranma is," Cologne began, taking care to refer to the pig-tailed martial artist by his name and not as her "son-in-law." "He is on his mastery quest, and even you would not deny him that, would you?" Soap snorted. "He is a male, what does he know of the fighting arts?" The statement caused Cologne to raise an eyebrow. "Really? Then you should think about just who slew the god-king Saffron in battle. Ranma is a fighter who is to be feared and respected for his skill."

"Respect a male? Don't be ridiculous. And you don't honestly believe that that mere boy killed Saffron, do you? It's all a fancy story to scare us away from him," Brush commented, causing Shampoo and Mousse to come around the counter, anger evident in their eyes. Cologne held up her staff to stop them. "Are you calling my great-granddaughter a liar, Brush?" Her fellow elder met her hard stare. "You have two weeks. Then we will do it our way. Nothing will keep us from the boy."

As they left, Cologne sighed and turned aroun. "We had better warn the Tendos and Ranma, if he can be found. This is not good."

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ranma woke up, sweating heavily. His eyes searched the area around him in panic for a moment, before focusing on the dying embers of the campfire. It had just been a dream. Or had it? Somehow, he had a feeling something bad was about to happen. It was a feeling he usually got when Akane was about to be kidnapped again, or someone had come up with yet another hare-brained scheme to get him married. Only this time, it was worse. Much, much worse. And he didn't like it one bit.

_Nothing I can do about it, though. Ryoga ain't around and Mousse's probably back in Nerima, so what am I so worried about?_ Another shudder ran down his spine as a sense of dread crept up within him. _Or maybe I should come visit. Just a quick one. Yeah. I'm gonna do that._

_V----------------------------------------V_

"Saotome!" Mousse shouted. Since he was currently in his cursed form, however, it come out more like a "Quackquacko!" It was enough to get the pig-tailed martial artist's attention, however, and Ranma turned and stared at the duck, surprise written across his face. "Mousse? What the hell are you doing here?" The duck quacked a couple of times, before Ranma realized he wouldn't get any answers this way. Picking up the kettle from the fire, he doused the duck, which promptly turned into his myoptic rival.

"So, Mousse, what brings you here? Not like you could just take off from Nerima and go look for me to challenge me." The Chinese boy shifted his glasses before replying. "Saotome, there is a problem in Nerima." _Nothing new there,_ Mousse thought silently. "The council has sent a hunting group for you. They have two elders with them, and the old ghoul told me to warn you they were likely to do something rash, or stupid...or both."

"What?"

"If you thought Cologne treated me bad because I'm a male, you should see Brush and Sho Pu! They're dangerous." Mousse took a deep breath. "Listen, Saotome. I don't like you, and I don't want Shampoo to marry you. But those two will do **anything** it takes to bring you into the tribe. Either by beating you into submission, or taking hostages. It doesn't matter to them. I'm telling you this because as much as I dislike you, you've proven honorable so far, and I like **them** even less."

The two sat in silence for a moment, contemplative. "You better hurry back. The old ghoul said she'd keep an eye on them, but even she and Shampoo can't fight an entire war party on their own."

Ranma packed up his camp in less time than it took for Mousse to find cold water and transform, and promptly started running back, trailing the transformed duck towards the city he had left not too long ago.

_V----------------------------------------V_

And far away, in China, near the cursed valley of Jusenkyo, in the village of the Joketsuzoku, an amazon drew the final part of a magic circle. The mandala flashed, glowing an ethereal silver as it pulsated, then lifted off the ground. The glowing symbol hung in the air, slowly drawing power from the mystics of the Joketsuzoku, then moving on and drawing upon the pool of energy that was Jusenkyo itself. It turned from silver to an ominous blood red and started rotating, until sparks flew from it and a vortex of scintillating colors opened in its center.

From within, the bonds that held two individuals at the lowest levels of Niflheim weakened as the spell drew more energy into itself. The spirits of the pools cried in agony as their essence was ripped away from their only remaining link to the physical world, the unearthly howls of those long dead resonating in the valley.

Finally, it was over, and the mandala dissipated, leaving a man and a woman standing in the center of the village. The smle on his face was not a pleasant one.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Herb watched the proceedings at the amazon village warily. "Lime, Mint. Rouse the warriors, and put them on alert. Something is going on, and it is not something good." The dragon prince turned and rushed to the library, determined to scour the anxient texts for any hints of what their neighbors had done.

_V----------------------------------------V _

Nearby, within the depths of Jusendo, a chill ran down the spine of its lord. The God-King Saffron, while not fully matured yet, was incredibly sensitive to magical energy, something he accredited to his magical nature. And what he had just felt, was something akin to a magical howitzer. There had been a spell that had drawn incredible power, but that power had been used in the crudest of way, to break a binding spell. He shuddered at the raw power that was amassing at Joketsuzoku; it was enough to level the entire valley.

The commander of his guard, his confidente Kiima, was by his side immediately. "My lord?" He glanced at her, and for an instant, she caught the faintest flicker of fear in her god's eyes. "Put the guard on alert. Something is happening." The winged woman nodded, trusting her king's intuition. "And Kiima, I need you to do me a favor."

"Yes, my lord?"

"Go to Japan, and find Saotome Ranma. I have a feeling we will have need of his help." Kiima didn't like the idea of asking the boy who had once dashed all their dreams and hopes and killed their king for help. While she was amazed at his martial prowess, she resented him even more. Yet, if Saffron was certain they needed the pig-tailed boy's help, she would get it...whatever the cost.

_V----------------------------------------V_

"Your two weeks are up," Brush announced as she walked through the door of the Neko-hanten once more. Unlike Cologne, she wasn't perched on her staff, but instead held on to a long, metal lance that had to be six times as high as she was. The elder Amazon glanced up from where she was cooking for the lunch crowd. "I have told you before, Brush, Ranma is not here. I do not know where he is." They kept the conversation in Chinese to keep eavesdroppers from listening in...although a war-party of warrior women was rather suspicious in any case.

"Then we shall take whatever measure it takes to bring him back from his foolish enterprise and return to the village with us. By force, if necessary." Cologne didn't like the underlying tone in Brush's voice one bit. "I do not want to know what you meant by that, Brush. But know that I will not let you harm those who have nothing to do with this matter." It was about time someone stood up to Brush's old-fashioned ways...and if Cologne had to be it, then she would. For the survival of the tribe.

"Don't be a fool, Khu Lon. We take what we want. If we hurt a couple of these weaklings while we're at it, who cares?" Brush snorted. "That doesn't sound like you at all, Brush," Cologne replied, taking care to ready her staff. Actually, it was just like her to say something like that...but Brush had never been this radical. "You would attack innocent people, for what?"

"The boy sees himself as a protector. Once he hears of their suffering, he will come back. And then we shall teach him a lesson." Cologne had heard enough of this. "Brush. Leave and take your women with you. You are no longer welcome here. I, too, want Ranma in the tribe, but not with these methods. Do you know what could happen if you alienate him? If he becomes our enemy? If I have to, I shall fight you with my entire might."

"So be it. Next time we meet, it shall be on the battlefield," Brush declared, before turning around and leaving. "Shampoo! Mousse! Come here, **now**!" Cologne hollered. Time was of the essence now.

_V----------------------------------------V _

The sounds of fighting could be heard, even as Cologne and Shampoo hurried to the Tendo dojo. The two Amazons arrived to see four warriors laying into Ryoga who was shielding Akane with maces, spears, and swords. The Jusenkyo-cursed martial artist was barely able to hold his own, partially hindered by Akane, who alternated between wanting to fight and hiding in fright.

Cologne scanned the area, not noticing any of her fellow elders in the vicinity, but taking note of the three women that were waiting on the other side of the wall as reinforcements. This was not good. "Shampoo, take out the two on Ryoga's left. I'll deal with the others," she instructed, before leaping off the wall and into the fight.

Shampoo nodded and withdrew her bonbori. She didn't like fighting her sister Amazons, but she didn't particularly like the methods they were using, either. "Ha!" With a yell, she slammed one of her maces into a spear that would have skewered Ryoga from the side, before twisting around and bringing the other one to bear on the spear-wielding Amazon. And then, the fight was on.

_V----------------------------------------V_

Ryoga growled as he ducked under another slash. He had no idea where these Amazons had come from, but he had gotten lost again and found himself at the Tendo dojo when they had attacked with a warcry as their only warning. The numerous throwing knives and pointed weapons protruding from the wall behind him spoke of the fact that these Amazons at least didn't care about collateral damage. He grunted as he blocked a mace with his forearm, before jamming his finger into the ground. "_Bakusai Tenketsu_!" The ground exploded, throwing up dust and dirt, obscuring his view for a few moments.

Jumping back, he shifted so that Akane was behind him again, urging her once more to get into the house. The girl wouldn't have any of it. "I'm a martial artist, too! These floozies come and invade my house, and I'll..." what she intended to do to the Amazons would never be known as a sword flew past her ear, missing her by a mere inch.

Then the dust settled, and Ryoga prepared for the oncoming assault. It never came. Instead, through the hazy air he could make out the familiar form of Shampoo standing, bonbori extended over their fallen enemies. A shouted kiai and the sound of wood meeting flesh with a loud crack spoke of Cologne's presence. "Pig-boy not hurt?" Shampoo asked, never turning her attention from the hole in the outer wall of the dojo property.

"Y-yeah, we're okay." Before he could say any more, Cologne hopped into his field of view, tossing a bottle to Shampoo. "Xi Fang Gao. Erase this day." The younger Amazon nodded and went to work. Within moments, there were six amnesiac Amazon warriors sans weapons lying unconscious on the ground before them.

"What is going on here?" A new voice demanded. Cologne rolled her eyes as she waited for the elder Tendo and Saotome to come out of hiding. "The council decided to send a war party here to fetch Ranma," Cologne simply said. "It seems they want him at any costs...and Brush and Soap are more than willing to go those lengths, I'm afraid."

_V----------------------------------------V _

The knock on the door startled Saotome Nodoka out of making tea. "I wasn't expecting any guests, who could that be?" She started towards the living room when Kasumi called out, "I'll get it, Auntie!" A moment later, Kasumi's startled gasp could be heard, followed by a distinct male voice, "Hi, Kasumi." Ryoko's chuckle and reply caused the auburn-haired woman to freeze up for a moment before rushing out into the living room, the tea temporarily forgotten.

"Ranma!" Said pig-tailed martial artist barely had time to brace himself before his mother barreled into him with enough force to knock the wind out of him. The breath exploded him him as she clamped down to him in an embrace that put Shampoo's best Amazon glomp to shame, and he warily placed his arms around his mother. Kasumi smiled as always, although it seemed brighter somehow. Ryoko just shot him a knowing smirk.

"You've come back!" Ranma slowly relaxed and a smile crept across his face as he hugged Kasumi with his other arm. A slight blush crept across the girl's face, eliciting a knowing smirk both from Ryoko and the Saotome matriarch. "What brings you back so soon, Ranma?" his mother asked, hoping against all odds he had completed the task set before him in the few weeks since he had left.

"Just visiting, mom," the pig-tailed martial artist replied, extricating from the embrace. "I haven't mastered the Neko-ken yet." He shrugged. "Can't I come by and just visit you?" Nodoka practically beamed. "You know you can always come home, son. Even if you don't master the Neko-ken, I would never love you any less."

As the topic of their small-talk slowly drifted over to other matters than his training trip, Ranma felt himself let out a sigh of relief. Apparently, there wasn't anything wrong here. He tried valiantly to ignore the nagging voice in his head that told him, _not yet_.

"So, Ranma, have you met any nice girls while you were travelling?" Nodoka asked. Ranma gulped. His mother had this "I'm-still-waiting-for-grandchildren" look on her face. "You know how training is, mom...no time for anything else! Besides, none were as cute as Kasumi here!" He totally missed Kasumi's blush and Ryoko's snicker. "Oh? So that means you haven't been manly, son?" Nodoka had invalidated the seppuku contract a while ago, and both she and Ranma knew she wouldn't hold him to it in either case, but he was proving so fun to tease.

"Eh...that is...I mean... of course! There were lots of girls!" That earned him a a pout from Kasumi. Afraid that he'd hurt her feelings, he quickly continued stammering, "But I'm not interested like that! I mean, they were cute an' all, but I didn't wanna..."

Ryoko leaned over and whispered something in Nodoka's ear, causing her to arch an eyebrow. "So that means you are interested in...men?" The pig-tailed martial artist was even quicker to deny that, nearly breaking out into hysterical whining. "No, no way! No way! Never! I ain't that way! I mean, I **am** interested in girls! Girls are cute! Like Kasumi! I mean.." By that time neither of the other three could contain their mirth. Nodoka and Kasumi started giggling like schoolgirls, accompanied by Ryoko's deep chuckle.

Ranma realized he had been set up, and glared at the trio for a moment, before grinning, as well. When they had finally controlled their laughter enough to breathe, Ryoko stood and withdrew a scroll from his pocket. "I think I've intruded enough. Here's a scroll with some of the basic techniques of both the Mugen Tenketsu and the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu. Study them well, Ranma. Ladies, I take my leave." With a flourish, he tossed the scroll to Ranma, and bowed slighty to the two women before leaving.

Ranma was about to return his attention to his mother when a warcry from outside the house echoed through the open door, followed by a grunt of pain. Exchanging a glance with his mother, Ranma rushed outside, to find the house surrounded by Amazon warriors, most of which had bows and arrows drawn and aimed at Ryoko, who was kneeling in the middle of the yard in a small pool of blood. A sick feeling began to rise in his stomach as Ranma noticed the shaft of an arrow protruding from his friend's side. All of a sudden, Mousse's warning echoed in his head. _They'll do anything to get you into the tribe, no matter the cost._

It took but a moment for several of the archers to train their weapons on him, as well. "Ranma, what's going-" his mother stopped in mid-sentence as she saw the small army assembled in front of her house. Kasumi stopped just behind her, hidden from view. "What is the meaning of this?" Nodoka demanded. The tone was low, almost a growl, and threatening enough some of the Amazons actually squirmed.

"You, Saotome Ranma, come with us now. Or your friends die," one particularly brave woman called out from behind the mass of archers. Before either could say anything, a low chuckle came from Ryoko. "Are the Amazons that craven they have to hide behind numbers and bows and wait in ambushes? You're a joke!" The wounded man started laughing, a laugh that, Ranma reflected, was creeping him out. This was a side of his friend he hadn't seen so far, his expression was neutral, but his eyes burned with a hate he had only seen once before – when he'd told him to kill any youma he came across.

The pig-tailed martial artist shifted into a defensive stance, hoping fervently his mother and Kasumi would move back into the house and shut the door. "We no cowards!" One woman screamed, abandoning her bow for her sword and charging forward. "Now you die, outsider!"

Before any could react, the Amazon flew back, a thin line of red slowly spreading at her throat. "Come at me again and I won't hold back," Ryoko growled as she nursed the papercut the windblade had left at her neck.

"We no need for him, kill them all!"

Ranma narrowed his eyes as he noted several archers taking aim at his mother standing behind him. He moved in front of her. "No way," he ground out. "You wanna hurt mom, ya gotta go through me!" The Amazons pushed forward, tightening the circle around them. "You come with us now and accept punishment like good male, and we may let your family live," a tiny figure leaning on a two meter lance told him as she stepped forwards from between the archers. An elder, Ranma figured.

"I am elder Brush of the Joketsuzoku. You have violated our laws for too long. Now you carry the consequences. What will it be? Are you coming willingly, or do we have to harm your friends and family before you concede to our claim?" She indicated at Ryoko. "He was in our way. As you can see, even he is no match for us." Ranma's gaze flickered over to Ryoko as the man stood, blood still oozing from the wound in his side.

"You needed to show up with an entire army of archers to hit him with an arrow?" He asked incredulously, in a half-mocking tone. "Maybe he's right, the Amazons really **are** pathethic. At least Cologne was honorable. You," the pig-tailed martial artist growled, "are not."

"It doesn't matter. You **will** come with us, one way or another. Now, either you come with us, or I'll order these warriors to open fire and kill every last one of your friends. Slowly." Her toothy grin was something Ranma utterly despised, despite seeing it for the first time.

He was about to answer when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Glancing back at his mother, he saw her smile as she shook her head. "Ranma, do what you think is right. I will stand with you no matter what you decide. Do not let the threats of others rule your life, my son." He noted her hand was hovering over the hilt of the family katana, now resting in her kimono's obi.

Ranma gave her an imperceptible nod, before turning and glaring at the elder Amazon. "No," he simply said, sliding into a defensive stance. Ryoko, on the other hand, crouched low, head lowered, his eyes hidden by strands of hair. His hands were resting at his side, and his breathing deepened as he assumed a zero-stance.

"So be it. You have the blood of your friends and family on your hands." Brush extended her lance, signalling the Amazons to attack. "Provided you can get through me," Ryoko hissed as his aura exploded from around him, casting an eerie silver light into the bright afternoon. The Amazons halted for a moment, even as Brush ordered them forward, yelling, "He's just a male!"

Flinging his arms out, fans materializing in his hands, Ryoko shouted, "_Soyokaze_!" The result was anyting but a gentle breeze. The shockwave of ki blasted into the ranks of the Amazons, blowing them off their feet. Panting, the martial artist rose to his feet and stood, raising his arms into a defensive stance. Brush and the few Amazons that were still standing were staring at the carnage before them in shock. Ranma mirrored their expression, staring at the circular area around Ryoko where the ki blast had all but devastated the ground and anything on it.

"Come on, let's dance," Ryoko whispered as the Amazons regained their wits and attacked once again. Ranma stared in amazement as Ryoko, despite his wound, danced amidst their attackers, dashing in and out of engagements, each of his strikes perfectly executed and possibly lethal. It reminded him of Kagura's style in its beauty and elegance. Spotting a second group of Amazons approaching the lone fighter from behind, Ranma smirked and leapt from the porch to meet them. "One thing," he ducked under a bonbori. "I ain't," Ranma began, as he blocked a kick and twisted around a punch, "gonna marry any of you!"

As the last of his opponents fell to the ground unconscious, he glanced over the yard. Ryoko had lain out most of the remaining Amazons, while Brush was fighting...his mother? The elder leapt at the woman, her lance leading the way as she sought to impale her, only to meet cold steel as Nodoka brought the katana out of its sheath and up and about in a ringing parry. The younger woman smirked, an expression that seemed totally alien on her youthful face, yet at the same time seemed strangely fitting for her. The two combatants circled, with Nodoka sheathing her sword. Brush leapt forward again, only to have Nodoka duck and slash out, with a yell of "_Touma ni te Kiru Nari_!" The reddish tinted windblade knocked the Amazon off her feet and sliced through the tassel that hung from her lance.

Nodoka never stopped smirking as she sheathed her katana once more as she waited for Brush to recover. The elder approached more warily this time, testing her defenses with quick jabs of her lance, only to find each strike swiftly deflected by the sheath or hilt of the sword. Brush, however, wasn't one to grow impatient. Age had taught her many lessons, and patience in a fight was one hard learned. She waited, eyes darting across the battlefield. Seeing that she was the only Amazon who remained capable of standing, she chose to attack.

Nodoka met her charge head-on. "_Hasshou Suru Shinki Nari_!" In a blinding flash he sunlight reflected off the katana's blade as it flew out of its sheath, turning into a blur of silver. A crack resonated in the yard, followed by a dull thud as the first quarter of Brush's lance dropped to the ground. The auburn-haired woman calmly stood, sword already back in its sheath, her back turned towards her opponent.

"You are formidable, indeed. But we will not be deterred," the elder claimed. _Go after the girl,_ a voice told her in her mind. _The weakest link of the chain._ Brush's eyes flashed momentarily, before she launched herself at Kasumi who was helping Ryoko with his wound. "Kasumi!" Ranma's cry echoed through the yard, even as Ryoko spun around, turning Kasumi out of the way of the attack. The dagger Brush had produced glanced off one of his fans, and he leapt back, closer to Nodoka, who took a defensive stance in front of them.

The pig-tailed martial artist, however, was angry. He felt a familiar heat burning up inside him, hatred for the Amazon before him slowly rising. It was a familiar feeling, and he dreaded the possible results. He was no killer. But the person before him had attacked, meaning to harm his mother and Kasumi. His eyes narrowed into cat-like slits, tinted with a hint of gold. Lashing out at her, four tiny distortions left his hand and traversed the distance as his mind played through the possible consequences of her attack on Kasumi. Someone had attacked his family, with intent to kill. They would pay.

The ki blades tore into the staff Brush held before her protectively, shortening it even more. The elder stared in shock at the obvious sign of the Neko-Ken, before snarling a reply and leaping off.

_V----------------------------------------V_

"_Shishi Hôkôdan_!" The ki blast impacted with the unprepared Amazon, sending her back into the wall, collapsing the already taxed bricks on top of her. Ryoga growled as he traded punches with a second, taking more blows than he could dish out from the nimbler woman, while Shampoo and Akane teamed up on two other Amazons off to the side. With a grunt, he hauled back and snuck a punch through the girl's defenses, belting her across the jaw with enough force to make her loose consciousness instantly.

He braced his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. At Cologne's warning shout he turned around, in time to see the end of a quarterstaff flash out and strike him rapidly, hitting shiatsu points intended to disable him. He could feel the ki flow to his left arm slow to a trickle, could feel the muscles and nerves in his legs freeze up, and could hear the crack of his right arm breaking. Ryoga stood helpless as the paralysis took effect, and watched as Brush and Soap joined the fight.

Cologne launched her staff at Soap, forcing her to abandon her spellcasting to dodge the projectile, then jumped at Brush. The two met in mid-air, clashing at speeds that rivalled the Amaguri-Ken, their small forms blurring. Cologne had adapted Ranma's version of the Amaguri-Ken, throwing rapid punches at her opponent, while Brush merely whipped her lance around her, making it clear just why she was the Amazons' weapons master. Without her staff's extra reach, Cologne found herself at a severe disadvantage. She only spared a single glance to the side to see Shampoo getting knocked out by the combined efforts of five warriors, none of which were too gentle, and she swore she saw a nasty gash on her great-granddaughter's side where a sword had found its mark. Next to her, Ukyo had appeared, spatula in hand, attracted by all the commotion, and was doing her best to defend the prone form of her great-granddaughter.

Then the world went black for her as Soap's spell rammed into her unprotected back, coupled with the searing pain as Brush's lance speared her through her shoulder.

_V----------------------------------------V_

The only thing that remained intact in the Tendo compound's yard was the koi pond. Fresh puddles of blood made the bare ground a slippery trap, and as Ranma, his mother, Kasumi and Ryoko arrived, they could only stare in abject horror as Shampoo and Ryoga were lying on the ground unconscious, in growing pools of blood, while Cologne was on the receiving end of a silver bolt of lightning, blasting the elder out of the air. Ukyo was being pushed back and had her back against the wall.

"What the hell happened here?" The amazon warriors present turned to face the newcomers. Brush's eyes narrowed. "So, you followed me. Now, we can end this." She nodded at Soap, who prepared another spell, while the women around them closed in. Ranma and Nodoka took defensive positions, while Ryoko drew his fans and slashed at the air in the direction of Soap. "Don't let her cast," he hissed. Catching his eye, Ranma noted he was serious, and prepared to follow up his friend's windblade with a ki blast.

Brush leapt in front of Soap, catching the windblade on her staff, while her fellow elder finished her chant. With a snarl, the sorceress brought her arm forward, pushing the web of magical energy she had created towards the small group of martial artists. The blast never reached them, however, as a white and black barrier flashed into existence between the Amazons and their target. A pair of ruffled feathers slowly floated to the ground, one white, one black, as lightning flashed overhead.

"_Ye spirits, hear my call,_

_Lord of Thunder, Lord of Wind_

_Grant this one your power,_

_Force of Nature, come forth_

_At thy mistress's beckon,_

_To strike these unworthy ones!_"

The lighting cascaded down from the heavens, striking the amazon warriors one by one, leaving them stunned and unconscious on the ground. When the lightshow was over, Urd lowered herself from the sky, winking at them. In front of the group, World of Elegance mirrored her expression. "We have a problem," the goddess announced.

"No kidding," Ranma muttered, as he glanced around the battle field around them. Ryoko, Nodoka and Kasumi were already at work, checking over the two amazons, Akane, and the one lost boy for injuries, even as Nabiki popped her head out of the door, telling them she had already called an ambulance.

Cologne was already recovering by the time it arrived, and was warding off the doctors, insisting they take Shampoo and Ryoga with them and hurry. Ryoko, meanwhile, was sitting on the porch, trying futilely to get a fussing Urd off of him. Nodoka had shot the young man a concerned glance, but he had reassured her he was fine, despite the obvious gaping wound in his side. Urd hadn't quite accepted that as readily, and was searching through her robes for a healing potion – and Ryoko was very glad she wasn't finding it, considering her track record with potions.

The amazons, meanwhile, were thoroughly trussed up and piled up in a corner of the yard, with Soun and Genma watching over them...over a shogi board. "So, what's the big news, Urd?" Ryoko asked, as they had finally gathered around the dinner table.

"Firkraag's on the loose. Somehow, he broke his seal. Also, there's somerthing going on at Jusenkyo, but we're not sure what it is, exactly. It seems like someone's draining the magical energy out of the valley, but that's impossible," the goddess replied. Cologne picked up for her. "It seems that the council is getting desperate to get you into the tribe, Ranma...desperate enough to resort to foolish actions, it seems." The pig-tailed martial artist only growled in response, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Any further comment was forestalled by the arrival of someone at the front gate. "Kiima? Mint? What are you guys doing here?" Ranma stared at the two in surprise. For a moment, the Phoenix woman and the Musk stared at each other, scowling, before entering the house, somehow managing to squeeze through the door at the same time. "Lord Saffron bid me to ask you to come, Saotome," Kiima growled. She didn't seem too happy with her orders, Ranma noted with a hint of amusement. "He said there were dire matters approaching Jusendo."

Mint, for his part, was currently rather distracted by the plentiful females present. Unfortunately, those females didn't quite take having him staring at a certain part of their anatomy very well, and the Musk soon sported a series of lumps on his head, which served to sober him up – for the moment. "Prince Herb said the same thing. He told me to come get you, 'cause we need your help. The Amazons are up to something. He said something about the 'spirits of Jusenkyo crying,' or something."

Urd was visibly shaken by the comment, as was Cologne. Ranma stared at the quizically, an expresion he found mirrored on Ryoko's and Nodoka's faces. "What does that mean?" he asked.

"There is a reference in the ancient magical texts about making the pools of sorrow cry and shed their life," the amazon elder began. "It is said that when the spirits are released from their mortal form, they shall unleash the power of a thousand gods..."

"And the wrath of a thousand deaths," Urd finished for her. "Don't tell me someone cast Ragnarok..." "What is this 'Ragnarok'?" Nodoka asked, seeing the pale face of the goddess. "Ragnarok is a spell that draws the magical energy of everything in its vicinity into itself, and when there's no more left, the very essence of life. It creates a vortex of energy more powerful than you can imagine, that is just waiting to be given form in a spell. But because it feeds itself, it burns itself out eventually, killing everything around it when it does."

"How powerful are we talking here?" Ryoko was starting to sound worried.

"If it has access to the Pools of Sorrow at Jusenkyo? Easily more than a hundred gods can muster." Urd gulped. "And that's not the worst part. If Firkraag's out, and he gets a hold of all that energy...it would be enough to completely reset Yggdrasil. Which means he could do almost anything."

There was dead silence around the table, following that declaration.


	12. Chapter Twelve: The Evil Among Us

Author's Note: Sorry for the lack of updates, but I had exams to study for, and my muse eloped with my best friend, so I had to hire a replacement...Err...no wait, that was his secretary who eloped. Anyway, I'm back with chapter 12 and 13! Double update to make it up to you guys!

Chapter Twelve: The Evil Amongst Us

The skies over the valley of Jusenkyo darkened as even the animals and plants realized the evil of the being that had just entered their midst. The amazon mages stared at the man and woman that had left the broken seal. Some of the more experienced began casting warding spells and shields, their eyes reflecting fear as they saw the man wave a hand, easily shattering their barriers.

"You have called upon me...now nothing shall hold us ever again," he whispered hoarsely, an evil smirk upon his face as Firkraag opened himself to the magic streams of the area. The air around him in what had been enclosed by the mandala was saturating with magical energy, and his smile turned malicious as he absorbed the energy to restore his depleted reserves.Next to him, his companion did the same. "It is time," he said.

Lenneth nodded her assent, summoning her goddes garb in a flash of light. The two began drawing an intricate symbol in the air between them. "Who are you?" One of the amazons asked, trembling slightly as she could feel the raw power and evil emanating from the demon. "I am Firkraag, demon first class, and this," he said, turning his now black eyes on the woman, "is the power I grant you."

The goddess had finished her spell, and Firkraag returned his attention to it. Chanting in ancient Norse, he drew the power around him into the mandala she had prepared, ripping open the fabric of space-time with a thunderous roar. What lay beyond the portal was enough to send even the bravest Amazon into shocked disbelief. Oni and youma of all gruesome shapes and sizes lay beyond, battling on charred ground littered with the white bones of the falllen that provided the only contrast to the near-complete blackness that shrouded the area beyond.

"Heed my call, creatures born of darkness, and come to the master who summons you!" Firkraag's aura blasted into existence, the black energy crackling around him, bolstered by the energy drawn off Jusenkyo. The creatures on the other side of the gate turned at his call, their soulless eyes focusing on him. He smirked, and then all hell broke loose. Amazons scattered like leaves in the wind, running from the horde of darkness that poured through the gate to ravage their earth, as well.

The demon roared with laughter as the army of oni, youma, and daimons collected around him. "This is what you called for, daughters of Joketsuzoku! This is the power to crush those before you!"

V------------------------------V

"Kasumi?" The girl in question turned around at the sound of her name, her heart giving an involuntary jump as she looked at Ranma. He had been back for nearly half a day, but in between all the commotion of the day, they hadn't yet found time to talk alone. "Yes, Ranma-kun?" The pig-tailed martial artist smiled as he read her eyes, a handy skill in combat, but even more useful in situations like these, he mused. It was amazing really, how observant he could be if he put his mind to it.

"I...uhm," he blushed slightly, reaching up with his left hand to scratch the base of his pigtail. "We didn't really did the chance to talk," he managed to stammer out. He was looking so cute, Kasumi reflected, with the mildly abashed look, stammering slightly. _How adorable_, she thought with a giggle. "It is good to have you back, Ranma-kun. I missed you." The girl smirked inwardly as she thought of a way to let the boy know just how much she had missed him.

"Ka-Kasumi!" Ranma stuttered, nearly jerking away as she leaned against his chest, closing her eyes and purred contently. He was nearly ready to pull a Doctor Tofu and go nuts. This wasn't like Kasumi at all. "Kasumi? This ain't...I mean...what's this about?"

The girl looked up at him and pouted cutely. "I missed you. Can't I show it?" She giggled again at his expression, before sighing again. He was rather comfortable. The pig-tailed martial artist stood in silent shock for a moment, before he realized he rather liked having Kasumi snuggled up to him as she was, and gingerly, so as not to make a mistake that would offend the girl, wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Kasumi?" The girl looked up once more. "There was something I wanted to ask you," Ranma told her quietly. "What is it, Ranma-kun?" He swallowed hard, wondering whether it really was such a good idea to ask her. He knew that he quite possible liked her more than as the big sister and surrogate mother she had been to him. This was new territory to him, something he couldn't solve with his fists or combat skills.

"Where are we?" He finally blurted out. "Hm?" Kasumi shot him a quizzical glance. "Where exactly are we, Kasumi? I...I think I'm starting to fall in l-love with you." There. He'd said it. He'd even only stuttered once, quite an accomplishment, considering the sentence contained the "l"-word. His only reply was a dead silence, and he closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. _Well_, he thought, _looks like I'm gonna hafta congratulate Doc Tofu sooner or later._

A quiet sob caught his attention, and he quickly glanced down, seeing tears rolling from Kasumi's eyes. Granted, they weren't many, but they were tears nonetheless. _Now you've done it. You made Kasumi cry. Great going, Saotome. The Tendo's are gonna have your head_, was his last coherent thought before his brain went into panic mode. "I'm sorry!" He nearly shouted, trying to wave his hands in front of himself defensively – a difficult task to achieve considering they were currently rather full of Kasumi.

The end result was that the pig-tailed martial artist ended up stuttering apologies, balancing them both precariously on one leg, while doing a sort of twisted mid-air split, waving around one arm and leg trying to retain his balance. The scene was rather funny, and Kasumi started to laugh. The sound startled Ranma enough that he lost his balance and fell flat on his back, with the girl ending up right on top of him. "Huh?" was all he managed.

"You're so funny, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said between giggles. Said martial artist just stared at her, blinking, as his brain caught up with him. "Huh?" he said again. Kasumi leaned up and smiled at him, something that made him feel as if he'd been physically hit by her beauty. When smiling, the girl went beyond "cute", he admitted to himself. She also bypassed "attractive" and went straight to "beautiful". And her smile was directed at him. He grinned in return, his worries eased, but not forgotten for the moment.

"Silly Ranma-kun, you have nothing to apologize for. You came back, as you promised." Kasumi snuggled into his chest a little more, before she picked up her train of thought again. "When you left the first time, remember when I asked you whether you loved Akane?" Ranma nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"I...don't know what it was, back then. But I felt glad that you didn't. I thought that, maybe, just maybe, I could have a try at happiness. I was selfish, seeking happiness at my sister's expense, and I hated myself for it. I felt like I was betraying Akane-chan. You've always been like my little brother here, yet you've done so much more than we could have asked of you. You have protected our home, our honor, and our lives, and when you were gone I realized just how big a part of our lives you had become. Akane was apatethic, even Nabiki missed you. Father was even more emotional, and Uncle Saotome wasn't as into his shogi game as usual. I thought, maybe I was wrong, maybe you weren't the little brother I saw you as all this time. Maybe you were a knight in shining armor, come to rescue all of us. I thought that, maybe, if I hadn't forced you on Akane that first day, we could have had something special, and maybe, we still could."

Kasumi glanced up, fully expecting the pig-tailed martial artist to be dead asleep by the end of her soliloquy – the boy never had had much of an attention span for anything besides martial arts, only to stare into wide-open sapphire eyes. "I...what about Tofu-sensei?"

"Tofu-sensei is a very good friend. I knew him since I was a child, and he has been our family doctor ever since I can remember. But with the way he acts, I don't think we would be happy. I had a crush on him once, but he never even gave me a single reply...besides," she winked at him, "while I like older men, don't you think he's a little **too **old?"

Ranma just smiled and laid back, stretching out on the floor, with Kasumi comfortably pillowed on top of him.

V------------------------------V

Herb wiped a stray strand of hair out of her face, blinking away a drop of sweat in the process. The currently female prince of the Musk growled as he fired off another ki blast into the accumulation of demonic creatures that had started laying siege upon the Musk Citadel. Things were definitely not looking good, Herb reflected. The siege had lasted for two days so far, and he had already lost a fair number of warriors. So had the enemy, yet no matter how many creatures they destroyed, more seemed to pour out of Joketsuzoku. They were fighting a loosing battle, and he knew it.

It had been a long time since he had seen a battle to the death, yet here he was, surrounded by the corpses of friends and enemies alike, some slain by his own hand. It was something he dreaded, but was necessary. He hoped Min would come back soon. They could really use Ranma's help right about now.

A roar to his left alerted him to the presence of a youma, and he levitated, taking off in the other direction, barreling into Lime, knocking the younger Musk out of the way of the clawed swings. In mid-air, Herb turned around and fired a beam of ki at the youma that tried to break down the gate, cutting deeply into their numbers. That would buy them some time...but not much, and they were all exhausted. Herb **really** hoped Mint would return soon.

V------------------------------V

"What have you done?" Cologne asked in Chinese as she stood perched on her staff in front of the tied up Brush and Soap. "What was best for the village," the Amazon weapons master replied. "What had to be done, or we would have become extinct!" The matriarch shook her head. "You have brought death upon all of us. Do you even realize what you have done?"

Brush glared. "I have given the Joketsuzoku the strength to survive. The Musk and Phoenix would have driven us out eventually. We are weakening in numbers, Khu Lon. And the weak die. The Joketsuzoku won't. I made sure of that." "Do you know what evil you have unleashed? You have unsealed the raw power of Jusenkyo, along with a demon! He won't give us strength, he'll crush us as soon as he doesn't need us anymore!" Cologne was nearly hollering.

"By this time, most of the village is probably dead, Brush! We have messengers from the Musk and Phoenix, and they asked us for help. Whatever you did, unsealed the pools of Jusenkyo. You initiated the blood rite, Brush. Remember what the ancient texts say about that? 'The strength of a hundred gods...and the wrath of a thousand deaths.' You have brought destruction upon us."

V------------------------------V

"Ranma." The pig-tailed martial artist turned at the mention of his name, to come face to face with Akane. "Yes, Akane?" The girl stood at the door to the guest room, shuffling her feet nervously, her eyes darting around as she searched for words. "About...what happened a couple months ago..." Ah, so that was what was worrying her, Ranma noted. "What about it, Akane?" Usually Ranma would be carrying a grudge against her or anyone – well, maybe a small one – but her actions had been bordering on vicious, and she the memory of a hurt Kasumi was still fresh in his mind.

"I-I'm sorry," she finally began, looking at her feet. "But it was that hussy's fault! They put that potion in my food, so it really wasn't me..." Akane trailed off as she realized she didn't really have more to say, and looked up at Ranma, only to find him staring her right in the eye, his sapphire eyes boring deep into hers. "Akane. While the potion lessened your self-control, you have to realize that you have a serious temper problem. You fly off the handle too easily, and that is why you can't advance in martial arts. You're letting every single thing get to you and respond with violence instead of thinknig of a proper reaction first. Violence is not always the solution, ya know."

The youngest Tendo daughter stared at her ex-fiancee. "Are you saying I'm violent!" Ranma just chuckled at her outburst. "You're proving my point, Akane. You didn't listen to what I said, you only heard me saying something negative about you and flew off. You gotta realize you're not the best – to be the best, you have to work hard. I have trained and sweated and bled for my art, which is why I'm as good as I am right now. Nothing comes without a price...after all, no pain, no gain."

"Who are you and what did you do with the real Ranma?" Akane demanded, her temper wavering. She wasn't too sure how to handle a sensible Ranma who was defending valid arguments. The boy shot her a cocky grin. "I had to grow up, Akane. I had to grow up the hard way. Please, Akane...for your sake, you gotta learn to be more patient. If you don't control that temper of yours, and hit someone else, they could be seriously hurt or killed. You're very strong, and highly trained. You need to learn to control your abilities." A haunted look flashed across his eyes for a moment, forestalling Akane's protest, and he continued, "Trust me, it'll tear you up inside if you ever kill or hurt someone because you lost control." He turned his back to her and resumed packing. "You can do it – you only have to want it."

"I..." Akane stared at her ex-fiancee's back, watching him quietly as he continued packing his belongings into the travel pack he had arrived with. "Ranma? What happened during your training trip?" He didn't turn around, and she thought she heard a slight break in his voice as he replied. "You don't wanna know."

She turned to leave, only to come back around and placed a hand on his shoulder. "If you ever hurt Kasumi, I'll make your life hell," she finally said. Ranma finally turned around and shouldered the pack. "I know. But I don't ever intend to."

V------------------------------V

Setsuna woke in cold sweat. A shiver ran down her spine, and she felt a sudden nausea creep up within her. On instinct, she summoned her garnet rod and teleported to the Time Gates. When she arrived, she could only stare in shock at what it showed. In a hurry, she sent an emergency signal through her communicator, and located her brother, teleporting to his side.

She appeared in the middle of the Tendo dojo. It was pitch black, yet the spark of light from her teleport and her light footfalls were enough to wake the martial artist. "'Suna? What's going on?" The Senshi of time barely restrained herself from rattling Ryoko awake, instead whispering, "It's gone..."

"Wha-? What's gone? What's wrong, Setsuna?"

"Crystal Tokyo. The timeline. Everything's gone!" The emerald-haired woman managed between clenched teeth, torn between despair and anger. "The timeline's splintered off into millions of strands, and none of them have Crystal Tokyo. I-I can't read the future anymore, and I felt a large demonic presence somewhere in China. The Negaverse is back." Setsuna wanted to scream, yell, blow up something. What the Time Gates had shown her hadn't been pretty. Visions of death and destruction, of a scorched earth, youma and oni scouring the planet.

It was the total contradiction of all she and the Senshi had been working for. It was like Beryl's attack all over again. She shuddered at the thought, a single tear managing to wind its way down her cheek, until she felt her brother's arms wrap around her. "Damn. We need to get moving soon," Ryoko muttered.

If there were indeed enough youma in China – and he had no doubt as to exactly **where **in China the problem was – to alert his sister and the Senshi, then they were indeed in deep trouble. Especially if a demon was controlling them. It didn't even bode well for the Amazons, who had most likely freed Firkraag from his hellish prison.

V------------------------------V

"That's the situation," Setsuna finished, glancing around at the assembled collection of Senshi and martial artists. "Jusenkyo is most likely being overrun with youma as we speak." Cologne glared at the still trussed up Brush, while Ranma looked thoughtful. "Mint, Kiima, what are the chances that the Musk and Phoenix could hold off the Amazons?"

Seeing that her Musk colleague was too busy staring at the present females' cleavage and only managed a squeak of "Boobs", Kiima sighed and took it upon herself to answer. "The Amazons alone would probably overpower either one of our tribes alone. If they were to attack both of us at once, we could easily wipe them out. If what she tells is correct and they indeed have summoned demons to their aid, then Jusendo will fall."

"We should get going as soon as we can," Ryoko noted. "It's been two days since Soap says the spell was completed. It **is** partially our fault that he wasn't properly sealed away." Urd nodded in response. "I'm coming along."

"Let's blast those bastards to hell." That hiss came, surprisingly, from Setsuna. Her ruby eyes were flaring with an unatural light that promised pain to everything that stood in her path, and Ranma involuntarily shuddered at the intensity of her stare, even though it wasn't directed at him. Ryoko chuckled, obviously amused at the shocked expressions that adorned the rest of the Senshi's faces.

Nodoka raised a hand in question, before asking, "How do you plan on getting there? China is rather far, and we do not have access to a ship." "We can handle it!" Sailor Moon chirped, standing up. The Senshi gathered in a circle, and Ryoko, Urd, and Ranma moved to stand within. "Wait!" Nodoka called, hurrying up the stairs, only to return moments later with the family blade. "If Ranma goes, so do I."

Moments later, the circle was joined by Ukyo, who hefted her battle spatula with a wry grin. "Count me in. Wherever Ranchan goes, I follow."

To everyone's surprise, Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi moved to stand within the circle, as well. "I'm no good at fighting, but I bet they could use a field medic or two," the brunette noted, grinning lopsidedly. She leaned in to Ranma, whispering, "Besides, I have to make sure you don't die on oneechan." Cologne, Shampoo, and Mousse also entered the circle. "What do we do about them?" The matriarch asked, indicating the captured amazons.

"We'll come with you," Soap said. "I...made a mistake in judgement, and it may have very well cost us the lives of our sisters. I plan to correct that." That earned her a glare from Brush and a few of the still tied up warriors. They would be left in the care of Happosai, Genma, and Soun.

"Then come. The sooner we get to Jusenkyo, the better," Urd called. The Senshi called out their henshin, preparing their teleport, when a voice broke through the yard. "Die, Ranma!" Ranma and Ryoko looked up in shock as the lost boy came rushing around the corner, barreling into them.

"Sailor Teleport!"

V------------------------------V

The teleport had deposited them inside the Musk Citadel – or what was left of it, anyway. The group stared in shock at the smoking remains of what had once been the fortress of the Musk. Now, the walls were crumbled, the buildings smoking ruins, and bodies littered the ground. It even shocked Mint out of his usual fixation with women's breasts, and made Ryoga forget about his blood feud with Ranma for a moment.

"What-what happened here?" The lost boy managed to stammer out. "We're too late," Ryoko muttered. "Damn it!" He let loose a string of profanities that made everyone wince, only to abruptly break off and stare into the direction of the Amazon village. "Shimatta. They're coming!" His eyes narrowed as he contemplated staying and fighting for a moment. "We gotta get out of here."

Ranma stared at the carnage surrounding them in shock. Akane mirrored his expression while Nabiki and Kasumi had clenched their eyes shut and were huddling with the Senshi. This was...he couldn't find words to describe the anger he felt at the destruction, at the needless loss of life; or the hate he felt burning up for the perpetrator of this deed. It wasn't an emotion he was fond to have, yet still he felt the urge to stay and tear whatever Ryoko had warned them was coming to pieces.

"Ranma?" The sound of his name took a moment to penetrate his thoughts. "We're leaving," Ryoko said with a disgusted tone. "Let's hope Jusendo is still intact."

V------------------------------V

Screams were a common sound as they echoed through the halls of Phoenix Mountain these days. The screams of the wounded, the dead, the dying. It was nothing Saffron could say he was particularly fond of, even as he floated high above his soldiers, throwing fireball after fireball down at the approaching horde of creatures. He was tired, he was weakened, and he had probably irreparably halted his growth process. It didn't matter.

His people were dying, and a dead people didn't need a king. He spared a glance at the figure hovering next to him, firing off ki blasts with an even greater concentrationa nd intensity than the Phoenix himself. _He has nothing left to live for,_ Saffron thought. It was a fate he hoped could be avoided, but he had no illusions about the outcome of this battle. The Musk Citadel had fallen in under two days, the survivors barely escaping to Jusendo, where they had sought refuge with the Phoenix, only to find them under siege, as well.

The more of those creatures he killed, the more seemed to appear. It was something that would have irked Saffron to no end, had he not been beyond caring. He watched as the invaders pushed back the combined forces of the Musk and Phoenix, leaving a trail covered in blood. Soon, they'd reach the entrance to the mountain. He wouldn't have it. With a savage yell, he gathered the fire within him, and continued raining flames upon their enemies.

V------------------------------V

He knew something was wrong the moment he heard screaming when the teleport spell finished. A quick glance around the area confirmed his fears. They had ended up at the front gate to Phoenix Mounain, all right...straight in the middle of a furious melee between Phoenix, Musk, and youma. Ranma narrowed his eyes, moving into a defensive stance before Kasumi and Nabiki.

The defenders didn't pay them much heed, having much more serious issues at their hands. "Now what?" the pig-tailed martial artist asked. "Now, we fight. Kiima, can you notify Saffron and his people? We need to get the non-combatants inside as fast as possible. Before they get killed out here." Ryoko flicked his wrists, catching his twin fans with practiced ease. "Until then, I guess, we throw a party." The grim look on his face belied the older martial artist's light tone.

Ranma withdrew his sakabato from his backpack, and the rest of them readied themselves for battle. Within a moments notice, Kiima was airborne, headed towards the two figures hovering above the battlefield, throwing energy blasts into the enemy ranks. "Lord Saffron!"

Nodoka, Ukyo and Soap moved in front of the three Tendo sisters, while the remainder of them rushed forward.

V------------------------------V

Saffron blinked at Kiima's voice, then looked around him. Once he had spotted the winged woman, he felt a wave of relief wash through him. If she was back, that meant that she had brought help. "Report," he told her as she came closer, never stopping to toss around fireballs. "We need to open the gates, Lord Saffron. I have brought Saotome, as you requested, and several of his friends. The healers need to get inside before the enemy reaches them."

The god-king nodded, sparing a glance at the woman hovering next to him. "Go to the gates and open them. Keep it as short as you can, and tell as many of our people to retreat. Dawn approaches, we'll get some rest then." Kiima nodded and took off.

V------------------------------V

Ranma rushed into the middle of the ongoing melee, his blade flashing out of its sheath as he brought it around in a strike that was powerful enough to break the youma's bones. _Sorry, Kenshin, looks like your sword will taste blood, after all._ The pig-tailed youth knew he was a mere beginner with a sword, but one glance at the tentacles and claws most of the youma sported strengthened his resolve to have a piece of steel between him and them.

The creature howled in pain, and Ranma let loose a ki blast that reduced it to dust. He ducked under a clawed swing, before reversing the blade and cleaving off a tentacle that tried to reach his neck. Tossing the blade to his left hand, he whirled around, snapping out his right arm as he spun. "_Kijin Raishuû-dan_!" The vaccuum blade sliced its target neatly in half.

As he continued to weave through the ranks of youma, he fought down the urge to just cut loose with all of his father's sealed techniques. It would devastate his opponents, but he also refused to let his anger make that decision for him. While these weren't human, they were living beings. Ryoko's words from what seemed a lifetime ago echoed through his mind, _They kill with reckless abandon. If you ever meet one, I personally say, kill it. They aren't human._

A scream of pain caught his attention, and he nearly failed to block a clawed swing that would have taken off his right arm. The hauntingly familiar female voice...the same voice that now echoed over the battlefield with a cry of, "_Shi O Osorenu Kokoro Nari_!" A flash of golden light exploded over at the gate where his mother, Soap, and Kasumi were. Ranma incinerated the youma with a quick ki blast, before turning his attention to his mother. She was leaning against Kasumi, her sword hanging limply in her hand. A sense of dread began to grow in him as he noted the red stain on her kimono, just below her ribs. All qualms against using the sealed techniques vanished in an instant.

V------------------------------V

Parrying a claw to his left, he let the fan open and whirled it aound the back of his hand, slicing off the tentacle that had caught hold of his wrist. Ryoko dropped to one knee as he turned around with a shout of"_Hiryuu Kyo-Ken_!" The ki blast tore through the two oni before him. He rolled out of the way an instant before the claw could nail him to the ground, and flipped back to his feet, ready to face the offending youma, only to find it already incinerated by a bolt of lightning. "Thought you could use some help," Urd smirked as she levitated next to him, World of Elegance providing them with cover fire.

"Remind me to pay you back," Ryoko grinned. "Get clear. I'm gonna make those bastards fly." The goddess quickly took to the skies, as did her angel, and the martial artist smirked evilly at the circle of youma that surrounded him. His hands snapped around the handles of his fans, an in a quick motion, he flipped them open. "_Fukyuu Ryujin-Dan_!"

He was coming to rest from his spin even as the tornado roared to life around him, hurling the creatures into the air, buffeting them around as they were torn apart by the force of nature.

V------------------------------V

Shampoo wiped the sweat and blood off her forehead with the back of her hand, even as she threw one of her bonbori, crushing the skull of the youma assaulting her. The young amazon slipped on a puddle of blood, and found a tentacle snatching her ankle, only to be cut off by a well-aimed broad sword. She picked up the sword and nodded her thanks at Mousse. _Maybe he isn't so blind, after all_, she thought as the two of them laid into the oni again.

Mousse was at a definite advantage here. His style revolved around ranged attacks and the use of weapons, and while he could easily produce more weapons from his robe than he would ever need, she couldn't. Shampoo excelled in martial combat, but it she had been trained to fight unarmed. And from her first attempt, she had quickly realized that going up against demonic creatures with a lot of thorns, spikes, claws, and teeth unarmed was a quick way to get hurt.

A slight rattle over the sounds of battle notified her that Mousse had once again let loose a barrage of chains, blades, and kitchen sinks at their opponents. She had to admit, while she had ridiculed his fighting style at first, it was very effective now. More so than she was, Shampoo admitted with a tinge of jealousy.

V------------------------------V

Saotome Nodoka was a very well-trained swordswoman, a mistress in her own right of her family's style, the Musou Maden Ryu. Yet she was also a housewife and woman. She had kept in practice, but had never fought a battle to the death. So when the time came to take up her family's blade to protect her son and the sisters she considered her daughters, she didn't hesitate for a moment.

A slight moment of worry about her skills had been enough for her opponent to pierce her defenses, and even though she had enough strength left to crush the youma, she was out of this fight. Leaning against Kasumi as Nabiki bandaged the wound on her torso, she caught her son sending a concerned glance her way, and noted his eyes narrowed in anger.

Then the gates creaked open, and they were herded inside by the warriors that were guarding it. She turned around, when an agonized scream hit her. Turning around, she could see the youma were making a blind charge for the now open gate, cutting a fresh swath of blood. The scream had come from one of the young amazons that had accompanied them, and that was now being pulled to safety by Cologne. The old matriarch was skillfully deflecting any of the strikes coming her way even as she dragged the wounded girl towards the gate.

Nodoka realized they wouldn't make it. The youma were too close, too fast, and Cologne, despite her training as a martial artist, not quick enough. Her right hand tightened around the hilt of her katana once more, and she shakingly stood up, rushing towards the elder amazon.

V------------------------------V

Ukyo swung her spatula sideways in an attempt to clear some pace in front of her. The okonomiyaki cheft leapt clear of the swing that had been aimed at her legs, and brought the overlarge cooking utensil down on the youma's head with a satisfying crack. Glancing backwards, she noted the gates were open and the Tendo sisters and Nodoka were being moved in, when all of a sudden the Saotome matriarch turned around and ran back into the battle.

Letting out a couple select curses, Ukyo charged towards the apparently suicidal woman, one thought in her mind, _Ranchan'll never forgive me if I let his mother die on us._

V------------------------------V

Ranma stared in shock as his wounded mother ran towards Cologne, sword in her hand. He knew that she knew that there was no way she could return to the gate in time, before the youma were upon it – if she could even make it that far with her injury. A broiling wave of emotions washed over him, anger mixed with fear, hate mixed with desperation. His aura burst into full life around him, and he dug deep within him for his ki, drawing up every last ounce of strength he had. His usually electric blue aura turned a brilliant gold, shot through with the crimson flashes of his anger. The youma closest to him were vaporized by the aura as it grew in intensity, flickering higher and higher.

When the ki within him wasn't enough, he started drawing on the energy surrounding him, the chi that permeated the area, the magic that surrounded Jusenkyo. The screams of the dying echoed in his head, spurring him on. His aura condensed into a bright sphere in his cupped hands, and he thrust them forward, with a cry of defiance.

"_Ten Môkô Takabishâ_!"

The golden ray exploded from the hands of the pig-tailed martial artist, its brilliance outshining the pale moon that hung in the sky, rays of light spearing from between his fingers as the beam blasted through the ranks of the creatures separating him from his mother, cutting a five meter wide path of total destruction. Everything in the path of the beam was destroyed, annihilated by the force of his will. The ground was torn up in a trench, the remains of the oni were incinerated.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the beam subsided, leaving him at the bottom of a crater twenty feet wide, heaving in exhaustion.

V------------------------------V

Shampoo and Mousse froze at the sound of Ranma's voice, his shout clearly audible even over the din of combat. The two amazons stared in shock as the bright beam of light cut into the youma right in front of them, clearing them by a few feets distance. Shampoo could feel the heat radiating off the ki blast, while Mousse did his best to regain control over his jaw. "Sa-Saotome?" the myoptic martial artist stuttered out.

V------------------------------V

Cologne had taken note of Nodoka heading her way, and wanted to curse the foolish woman. She was going to get herself killed, and Cologne hated it when that happened. It was a noble, but foolish gesture – sometimes, the matriarch thought, the Joketsuzoku and the Japanese were too similar, sharing their bonds of honor. The elder could nearly feel the proverbial hot breath of the pursuing demons on her back, and prepared herself for oblivion. A fate well deserved, after more than three hundred years, she thought.

The end came in the form of a battlecry, followed by an impossibly bright light and a searing heat that cut across her back. When it was over, Cologne was amazed she could still feel pain. _Isn't death supposed to be painless?_ When she saw Nodoka standing stock still, mouth agape, she realized she might not be dead quite yet, and stumbled to her feet, fumbling around for her cane. Whirling around to meet her attackers, for one of the very few times in her long life, Cologne was shocked speechless at the utter devastation she now faced.

A trench two hundred meters long and a good five meters wide had been cut across the battlefield, narrowly missing her and the amazon sister she was carrying. As she trailed the trench, she knew what she would find at its origin. Ranma stood in the center of a blast crater that looked as if an ultimate _Shishi Hôkôdan_ had gone off, traces of his golden battle-aura still floating around him. Never in her three hundred years of life had she seen a male with this much potential, with this much power. Hell, she hadn't even seen a **female** with his potential. This was what Saffron had faced months ago. This was the focused rage and skill of the person who had slain a god with his bare hands. And, for the first time in her life, Cologne was scared.

V------------------------------V

When she heard her son's battlecry, Nodoka feared the worst. When the bright light exploded from the center of a mass of youma, her heart stood still, even as she realized it was where her son was. Then the flame of ki burned brighter, rising high into the sky, incinerating everything it touched with its ferocious intensity, and she knew the end had come.

The beam of ki that had originated from her son had shocked the woman speechless with its sheer power, the energy radiating off of it in waves, strong enough for even her to feel. It had cut into row upon row of oni and youma, mercilessly vaporizing them all. When it faded, revealing her son unharmed, she let out a sigh of relief, and pride washed over her. Pride at her son's accomplishments, pride at his ability to hold that much power and still retain his sanity.

The Ukyo was by her side, half-dragging, half carrying the wounded woman back towards phoenix mountain.

V------------------------------V

Urd's gasp was the first hint something was wrong. The exponentially rising ki level in a pile of youma was the second. The exploding pillar of ki was a dead giveaway. Ryoko froze for an instant, and only his battle-honed reflexes saved him from being cleaved in half. Urd dove to push Ryoga out of the way of a snapping tentacle, frying it with a lightning bolt as she passed.

Then, the three of them were forced to shield their eyes as an impossibly bright wall of flame approached them, crashing through the youma with frightening ease, incinerating even the armored creatures upon contact. The path of devastation continued, plowing through all resistance as if it were a paper wall.

Just before it could hit the trio, the beam suddenly winked out, leaving a charred and scorched earth behind. Once they could see the origin of the energy blast, Ryoga stood speechless, Urd muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Holy shit," and Ryoko cast a worried glance at the pig-tailed martial artist.

The boy had just unleashed one of the most powerful energy blasts he had ever seen produced, short of Urd's more powerful spells, and he only looked mildly winded. Ryoko's worries about the corruption of the boy tripled, and he could feel the residual anger in the chi lingering in the air.

V------------------------------V

"Dead Scream!" Setsuna didn't really care about the attention she attracted from her fellow Senshi, she didn't care she wasn't acting like her usual stoic self anymore. What the Time Gates had shown her...had not worried her, but scared her. There were few things that the Senshi of Time could claim worried her, and even less that outright frightened her. The total death and destruction she had seen was one of them.

The memories it brought back of the destruction Beryl had unleashed on the Moon Kingdom didn't help matters, either. Her teeth clenched in anger, she swung her staff, calling up all her skill and strength, easily crushing bones with the force behind her blows. Her rage lent her strength, and she tossed out energy blasts seemingly at random, yet each found its target with unerring accuracy as she mercilessly cut down her opponents.

All around her, she could feel the other Senshi fighting, the Inners working as a coordinated team, herding them together so that Usagi could blast entire groups of them to oblivion at once, while the Outers formed a wedge that cut its way through the ranks of the demonic creatures. Every once in a while, even though she couldn't hear Hotaru shout her chant, a flash of black lightning would announce the use of her Silence Glaive as she cast her Death Reborn Revolution into the midst of their attackers.

When the battlecry rose over the cacophony of destruction, she paid it no heed, only taking note of the golden ray blasting its way through the youma when it was too close to dodge. Her eyes widening in shock and fear, the emerald haired woman froze, entranced by the swirling, dancing wave of ki that was moments away from hitting her.

"_Môkô Tenshin_," she whispered as she brought her hands up in the last instant, drawing on her ki and discarding her magic, as her brother had taught her years ago. The shimmering, translucent barrier of dark purple flared into existence before her, clashing with the ki blast, only to have it part and flow around her like a river around a rock.

V------------------------------V

Saffron and Herb had seen many things during their resepctive lives, yet, just like Cologne, they had never seen a blast of this much power being cast by a mortal. The two shielded their eyes as they floated in the air, for once glad for their ability to fly and avoid being in the path of the all-destroying wall of ki and chi.

When it dissipated, Saffron had to blink several times until the blurry shape before him resolved itself into Kiima. "We're ready to leave the battlefield, Lord Saffron. Daybreak is coming."

As if to take over where Ranma had left of, the sun rose over the horizon, sending its own rays of light into the sky, casting long shadows unto the battlefield. The youma and oni turned and left, slipping into the shadows. Then they were gone, like a nightmare, leaving only a nightmarish scene of death behind.

END of Arc Two: Mastery


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Jusendo Under Siege

Arc Three: Ragnarok

Chapter Thirteen: Jusendo Under Siege

"I'm glad you came, Saotome. We could use every helping hand right now," Saffron leaned against his throne wearily. He didn't really want to sit down in the thing – considering it was solid metal and had no cushions, it was rather uncomfortable and he avoided it whenever he could. The pig-tailed martial artist and his companions had spread around the throne room, which was serving as an improptu war room, somewhat. "Hi, Saffron, Herb." Ranma waved at the two cautiously. He hadn't exactly left them on the best of terms – well, Saffron, at least.

The prince of the Musk just grinned and waved back, while the phoenix god mustered him for a moment. "I am asking you for your help, Saotome. You saw what was going on. We face an assault like that every night, it's been going on for the last two days, and the Musk Citadel has already fallen." Herb nodded, sadness evident in his eyes. "What you saw out there were the remains of the Musk. There are no others left."

"I am wondering though, who these others are you brought with you? They are capable fighters for the most part, yet they weren't with you last time you were here." Saffron glanced across the room where a phoenix doctor and Kasumi were tending to Nodoka's wound, over Ryoko, who was conversing with Urd and Setsuna, and the Senshi, who were having their own little meeting. Ranma shot the phoenix a tired look. "Long story. I'm pretty sure most of them would want to stay and help, though. That's why we came in the first place."

"So, what do you know of the events here?" Saffron asked. "Well, let's see," Ranma started ticking items off his fingers. "There's a demon in the amazon village. Then that demon somehow casts a spell and jacks all the magic of Jusenkyo. He uses it to open a portal and teleport a whole buncha demons here, and wants to take over the world?" The martial artist glanced over to where Urd and Cologne were talking. "I don't know why, but Cologne and Urd are scared of it, I think."

The two rulers suppressed shudders at the thought that even a goddess would be afraid of the power that had been harnessed at Joketsuzoku. "We should get you and your friends settled, and get some rest. It will be a long night," Saffron noted. "You can say that again," Herb muttered quietly.

V------------------------------V

With a snarl, Ranma reversed his blade and cut straight through the armored limb of the youma trying to eviscerate him. It shrieked in protest, only to be cut off as a gold-tinted ki blast incinerated it. The pig-tailed martial artist whirled around at a scream of pain, to find a phoenix guard who'd been holding off two youma going limp as bladed arms cut through him. His eyes narrowed, and he charged at the youma, chastising himself for getting too focused on his single opponent.

When he reached the dead phoenix, a leap carried him up into the air, and he came down towards the youma, with a cry of, "_Ryu Tsui-Sen_!" The ki-charged reversed blade cut easily through the youma, slicing it nearly in half. Even as one fell to dust, Ranma was already upon the other, exchanging lighting-fast blows with its four arms. From the corner of his eye he could see that their defensive perimeter was being overrun, and phoenix and Musk alike were being pushed back, many slaughtered with their backs turned to the battlefield as they ran for safety.

The remorse he had felt over killing these youma and oni had slowly waned as he had seen the battlefields, and the atrocities these monsters were capable of. He had seen them kill the helpless and the non-combatants without hesitation and without difference. It made his blood boil to see such evil run loose. _They're not human. They know no remorse. They're monsters,_ he continued to turn these words in his mind over and over again, to keep himself from falling into the bloodlust he had experienced once before.

Anger boiled up in him, even as he struggled to keep it in check. Not loosing control was vital now. One slip-up and he would end up dead. Unknown to him, his eyes narrowed to slits as he heard more screaming from the other side of the battle, followed by the pleas and cries of the dying. This wasn't the way his life was supposed to be! His family and friends weren't supposed to be in this kind of danger!

People were dying, he knew. And he hated it. And he hated the creatures responsible for their deaths with a nearly reckless abandon. He'd been trying to reign in his hate as well as his anger...yet he had found out days ago he could not. He had seen too many comrades killed, too many bodies defiled to not hate the youma and their master. The pig-tailed youth had found that hate gave him a new focus, and a cold rage would overtake him, focusing his mind on the battle and nothing else.

It would help him keep in control of the burning anger he felt each time he was on the field. With a hiss, he parried a clawed swing and brought his free hand around in a tiger's claw, swiping at the youma. The nearly invisible ki-blades cut deeply into it, tearing it to pieces, and Ranma never noticed just what had killed it. It fell to dust even before it had it the ground, courtesy of the sun that was now once more rising over the valley of Jusenkyo.

Another night of bloodshed was over.

V------------------------------V

"Ranma!" The pig-tailed martial artist turned round at the voice, only to stare point-blank into dark red eyes. He blinked, before inclining his head, offering a simple, "What's up?" Ryoko grinned as he held up a scroll in between them. "Got something for you. These are some of the techniques of the Mugen Tenketsu, and some advanced ones of Anything Goes. Was wondering if you felt like training a bit?"

Exhaustion evaporated in an instant. Ranma grinned as he thought about the prospect of just practicing the art again. "Always," he smirked, his face lighting up in the familiar arrogant smirk that had infuriated so many opponents.

Jusendo had an impressive training hall, Ranma had to admit. It was an entire cavern, cut out of the side of the mountain and stocked up with nearly everything you'd ever need for martial combat, from practice weapons to dummies, to live blades. The two martial artists got settled in the center of the room, and Ryoko tossed the scroll at him. "Pick one."

As he glanced over the list of techniques described on the scroll, Ranma felt his jaw drop. The sheer number of ki-excercises was enormous, and extended well beyond the simple ki-blast he used. It took a while for the pig-tailed youth to read through the entirety of the scroll, and a good deal longer to decide which technique to attempt first. One particular entry caught his eye, and he grinned as he read through the description. It would certainly come in handy when fighting Ryoga or Cologne.

"Let's try this one," he finally said, handing the scroll back to the other martial artist. Ryoko's eyes flickered across the entry for a moment, before he chuckled. "_Môkô Tenshin_, eh? That's a difficult one, though I'd bet you'd get it done in three days, tops." Ranma closed the mouth he had opened to say just that, before chuckling. "So, how do we start?"

Ryoko settled down in a lotus position, drawing a surprised look from Ranma, who had moved into a defensive stance. "What are you waiting for? Come on, sit down already!" Puzzled, the pig-tailed boy sat down across from Ryoko, shifting until he was comfortable. "What's all this about?"

"The _Môkô Tenshin_ is a shielding technique. However, with your current control over your ki, you will never be able to use it to its fullest extent." Holding up a hand to forestall the younger man's protests, Ryoko continued. "It is not a matter of your skill. Tell me, how much do you know about ki control?" "Uh...not much," Ranma admitted. "I picked up the basics on how to throw a ki blast from a scroll that one time Ryoga tried to kill me with the _Shishi Hôkôdan_, and I know how to project different temperature auras."

"_Shishi Hôkôdan_? You mean that lost boy knows that technique? Impressive," Ryoko mused, "If destructive. Depression usually isn't a good thing. Now, your own ki blast, the _Môkô Takabisha_...how do you access your ki to fire it?"

"I...hm...actually never thought about it, I just kinda...did it." Ranma looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess I sorta copied Ryoga there. I'm trying to feel confident, and then all of a sudden there's this well of energy that comes flooding out, I guess. Something like that."

Chuckling a bit at Ranma's description of the process, the older martial artist closed his eyes and released his own battle-aura. It flared up in a silver fire, wafting around him in feather-light caresses, just barely visible. "What you are doing is you are using an emotion to create a connection between you and your reservoir of ki," he slowly began. "That means that whatever ki blast you're using, is going to be tainted with that emotion. That is why you've been feeling more confident after firing it off, and why Ryoga has been more depressed. However, if you form that ki into a shield, like the _Môkô Tenshin_, it will never stop ki attacks that are not the exact opposite of the emotion you're using as a focus."

"Huh?"

"What I mean is that if someone isn't using depression in a blast, like Ryoga, you won't be able to stop it." Ryoko thought for a moment. "You've fought Herb, right?" At Ranma's nod, he continued, "You ever sense any emotion in any of his ki blasts? Usually, either the color of the blast or the 'feel' you have for it will tell you what emotion is used."

Ranma thought back to his battle with the Musk prince, trying to come up with something, and ended up with nothing. "Nope. Never noticed a thing."

"That's because he isn't using any. What Herb is using is pure ki. Now try to 'feel' out my aura. Notice anything?" The pig.-tailed martial artist closed his eyes and extended his own ki, contacting the other man's aura. His eyes suddenly snapped open. "Nothing. Just like..."

"Just like Herb. We both use pure ki, which allows our ki blasts to punch through almost any defense, and our shields to deflect almost any attack. It also won't leave you as drained afterwards, and it won't leave you 'high' on your emotion of choice." Ryoko slowly rose, his seated form beginning to hover off the ground, an inch, then two, before dropping back onto the floor. "This wouldn't be possible with emotion-based ki, simply because the strain is too great. Even with pure ki, it is nearly impossible to project a ki cushion like Herb does. He can, because his draconic blood gives him a greater ki reserve and finer innate control."

Ryoko stook up and stretched, before sitting down next to Ranma. "You'll need to stop relying on your emotions to access your ki. Otherwise, you will never be able to perfect any of those techniques."

The pig-tailed martial artist grinned. "So...how do I do it?" Somehow, he didn't like the somewhat evil glint that appeared in Ryoko's eyes. "Breathing and control excercises. Oh, this is going to be fun." Somehow, Ranma doubted that statement.

V------------------------------V

Cologne looked up from the tome she had been staring at for the last half hour at the sound of Urd slamming a massive book shut in frustration. "Damn it! There isn't anything useful in here!" The goddess grimaced as she fought the growing headache. She would have just contacted Yggdrasil or Asgard, but all the magic accumulated here presented too much interference to make communication possible. That also meant her powers were greatly diminished.

"Be patient, child. There will be something in the ancient texts about this," Soap tried to chide her softly, only to receive a growl in response. "There's nothing there! You know why? 'Cause this freaking spell is enough to blow up all of China! And don't call me child, I'm millennia older than you ever will be!" Urd squeezed her eyes shut and sighed. "I-I'm sorry. It's been a long and bad day. Excuse me." Without waiting for a reply, the silver-haired woman got up and left the dusty Phoenix library. Cologne glanced at Soap and simply shrugged.

Urd marched down the corridor with a scowl set on her face that sent everyone who wasn't overly foolhardy or had a deathwish scurrying out of her way. She slammed the door to the quarters she shared with Ukyo, Nodoka and Shampoo, and walked across the room, drawing inquisitive glances from the elder Saotome and the chef. "Something the matter, dear?" Nodoka asked gently. She could feel the anxiety radiating off of Urd in waves, and it wasn't like the usually cheerful goddess to show signs of depression.

Said goddess mumbled something under hear breath, causing Nodoka to arch an eyebrow. "Pardon me?" "I said, there's nothing in those damn records to help us. And I can't contact Yggdrasil," Urd repeated, growling. "We're gonna have to improvise in the field." She plopped down onto her bed with a tired sigh, closing her eyes and hoping to just forget all this had happened. Life at the temple had been so easy and simple before this mess. She was just glad her sisters were out of the way of this.

"Urd?" "Hm?" The silver-haired woman murmured a sleepy reply. "Just what is going on? I don't completely understand the situation," Nodoka asked as she sat down on a chair next to the goddess's bed. "Well, it's kind of a long story. I don't know what exactly Firkraag plans to do with all that power at his disposal, there could be several things he's after. I do know, though, that he wants your son because of the chaos that surrounds his aura. Ever wonder why the boy gets into so much trouble? It's because, as some cosmic joke, he was selected as a nexus for chaos. It means that if Firkraag absorbs his aura into the spell, it'll most likely go wild. Wild magic is extremely dangerous, because of the random effects that can occur, but also by far more powerful than controlled magic. With that kind of energy in a spell, he could do anything from fusing the three planes, to blowing up the solar system."

"So Ranchan's the main ingredient?" Ukyo didn't look all too pleased when Urd nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry you got dragged into it, but there's nothing I can do at the moment. With all the magic flying around there's too much interference for me to contact my sisters or even Yggdrasil. That means I'm not as powerful as I used to be, either. I'd put myself at the level of a decent mage, at the moment, can't guarantee more."

V------------------------------V

Ranma ignored the beads of sweat that were flowing down his forehead. Finding his center was proving to be harder than he thought, and each time he thought he had succeeded, Ryoko would tell him to cut the connection and read his own aura. And each time, it was tinted with the blue of his confidence. When he got home, he'd be giving his father a good whack for saying meditation was wimpy. This was hard work!

An idea shot through his head, and the pig-tailed martial artist settled down, clearing his mind of any thoughts save for the memories of the battle the day they had arrived. The instant he had seen his mother hurt, yet still willing to sacrifice her life. It had been so clear then, and he grasped on to it, letting the memory ignite the whirling vortex of emotions once more. He felt his hatred and anger at the demons well up, paired with fear for his family's safety, pride and surprise at his mother's martial prowess, confidence in his abilities, love for his mother, all mixing to form a churning, broiling mass of emotions.

Then, all of a sudden, the world snapped back into focus. He could hear the heartbeat of the older man sitting across from him, could feel the tiny vibrations in the cave caused by the footsteps of a passing warrior ten levels above, could see the tiny particles of dust floating in the air. A warmth filled him, and it took him a moment to realized he was wrapped in his aura, as it hovered around him glowing a soft golden color. Ranma could feel the same power at his fingertips that he always did when fighting Ryoga, when firing his ki blast...only this time it was more subtle, yet at the same time, more powerful.

The clapping that came from Ryoko seemed impossibly loud to his enhanced senses, and he nearly winced at the sound. "Good work. Now, that is pure ki. Getting down the rest of the technique should be easy," Ryoko noted with a hint of amusement in his tone. "Expand your aura, and focus it in your hands as if you're setting up for a ki blast. Then, instead of letting it build up and letting it go, imagine it in the shape of a wall in front of you."

Slowly extending his hands outward, cupped as if setting up for a ki blast, the aura slowly drained into his waiting palms, only to flare up and suddenly extend outwards, flaring from in between his spread fingers to form a fine golden mist before the pig-tailed youth. He concentrated, imagining the shimmering barrier in front of him, and the mist solidified until it became a semi-opaque wall. He slowly cracked his eyes open, only to stare at the barrier before him. His concentration wavered, and the wall fizzled out of existence.

"That was pretty good," Ryoko commented. "Now, all you need is practice." Ranma grinned. He'd have it down in no time flat.

V------------------------------V

Ryoga watched from the entrance of the cavern as his archrival began to master yet **another** technique. Granted, at first it hadn't looked like much when the two martial artists had sat down and meditated, and Ryoga almost got tired of watching them do nothing. But then, Ranma's aura had flared, and he had felt a surge of power coming from the pig-tailed youth that exceeded everything he had ever felt from Ranma. It dawned on him that his rival might actually hold actual power, and the prospect scared him.

If Ranma was powerful enough to kill Saffron, Ryoga realized, what would happen if he ever lost control around one of them? Or if he got angry and decided to stop holding back? Ryoga believed that he could keep up with him, but what about others? He would have to protect Akane and her sisters...no, Ryoga admitted, Ranma would never consciously hurt the Tendo sisters. The lost boy hadn't said a word to his rival in the three days since their arrival at Phoenix Mountain; he hadn't said much, actually.

Ryoga had never been a talkative person, but even he seemed unusually quiet, contemplative. He had been out in the battlefield those three days, and seen things that scared him even more than the prospect of a powerful Ranma. At least, with the pig-tailed boy, he knew where he stood. Those creatures, he also knew, were **evil**. He had seen something he had thought would never see – actual death and destruction. It was a sight he could happily live without, yet the scene when they had arrived at the Musk Citadel would be forever burned into his memory. The sight of the burned ground and charred bodies, the smell of death and ash, the vision of death itself.

He wouldn't wish it upon his worst enemy. Not even Ranma. He had been horrified by it, and banished the thought of ever killing anyone from his mind immediately. Yet, had he not wanted to kill his pig-tailed nemesis? Had he not wanted to bring him to the brink of destruction and beyond? Had he not wanted to destroy all he held dear? Yet, Ryoga mused, he would never, ever be capable of unleashing the kind of destruction he had seen these last days on anyone. Beat the living snot out of Ranma, yes, but kill anyone...he would never do it, he swore to himself.

The lost boy realized that Ranma had always extended him the very same courtesy, in every single of their battles. While he had always attacked with the intent of severe bodily harm, and never cared much about collateral damage, or the means he used to achieve his goals, Ranma had always only used enough force to subdue him, never enough to put him down for good. Ryoga chuckled dryly as he realized he probably wouldn't have held back if someone constantly attacked **him** out of the blue screaming, "Hibiki Ryoga, prepare to die!"

It was time they talked, Ryoga thought. High time. So, he stepped into the hall, with deliberately heavy footfalls that were sure to alert Ranma. The pig-tailed boy did indeed turn around, his aura still hovering around him. "Hey Ryoga. 'Sup?" The boy greeted him with a grin. "Ranma...want to spar?" _That came out wrong..._Ryoga berated himself. "Sure!" Ranma was on his feet within moments, and Ryoga barely had time to duck under a straight punch. And then, the fight was on.

V------------------------------V

Ranma threw a straight right punch, slowly, only to grin as Ryoga ducked under it, and leapt over the lost boy's sweep. He came down in an axe kick, which impacted with Ryoga's shoulder, and hurt him more than his opponent. He felt Ryoga grab a hold of his still-extended leg and twist, but instead of slamming into the ground as he was supposed to, Ranma bent and slid through Ryoga's legs, and, with a yell of "_Shichuû Rakuchi Sei_!" toppled the other boy. Ryoga dropped forwards, extending a finger, and the ground below both of them exploded, tossing them into the air.

Turning in mid-air, Ranma landed easily, sliding into a defensive stance while he waited for the dust to clear. Before it had even settled, he could feel Ryoga rushing out of the blast zone, and slid sideways, avoiding a powerful snap-kick, then lashed out in a palm-strike that stopped the lost boy dead in his tracks with its force.

Ryoga felt the impact and the breath exploded out of his lungs. When had Ranma gotten so strong? He threw a weak left cross, followed by a quick side kick, both of which Ranma evaded with infuriating ease. The lost boy tried to raise his depression again and launch a ki blast at his rival, but the darkness wouldn't come. How could he feel depressed for himself when there were people dying before their eyes every night? He noted Ranma leaping back in anticipation of a ki blast, and saw his chance. He charged forwards with a roar.

His eyes snapped open when Ryoga charged, trailing an unusual dark purple glow. Instead of throwing the blast he had expected, he had launched into a spin kick that connected hard even as Ranma attempted to turn aside. The impact sent the pig-tailed martial artist flying backwards, sliding on the ground from the force of the blow. He rose, a grin on his face. "Not bad, P-chan." Then he leapt forwards, propelled by powerful muscles, crossing the distance between them in a single horizontal leap. "_Kachuû Tenshin Amaguri-Ken_!" He began raining blows upon his opponent.

Ryoga had known what was coming from the moment he sensed the ki buildup in his rival, and braced himself for it. Arms crossed before him, he took the brunt of the assault head-on, attempting to find a hole in Ranma's defenses, only to come up empty-handed. If anything, it felt as if the repeated impacts were coming even faster, and Ryoga grunted as he felt his arms going numb. So he couldn't use the _Shishi Hôkôdan _anymore...wasn't that depressing? Unfortunately, his old trail of logic picked that moment to fail him, and With a final set of punches Ranma sent the lost boy flying backwards.

Panting for air and high on the adrenaline of combat, Ranma took a moment to catch his breath as he wound down from the Amaguri-Ken, but he looked up in shock at Ryoga's cry of "_Hinokuruma_!" The purple sphere of ki blasted into Ranma, as potent as Ryoga's old _Shishi Hôkôdan_.

With a satisfied grin set on his face, Ryoga got up from the ground, settling into a ready stance. His jaw hit the ground as he could finally make out the silhouette of his pig-tailed rival through the dust, arms crossed and a shimmering golden barrier between them. Ranma straightened and grinned. "What the hell is that, Ranma!"

"Pretty darn cool, that is, if you ask me," Ranma smirked. "When'd you come up with a new ki blast?" "Just now," Ryoga chuckled, scratching the base of his neck with his left hand, unaware of how much he actually looked like Ranma doing that. "Figured depression kinda didn't work for me anymore, so I thought of what I saw out there, and it sorta got me really angry." For the first time in a long time, Ryoga had fun in a fight. It was a feeling he openly admitted to himself he had missed since...since that day he had missed Ranma for their duel on the lot behind his house.

"You should get Ryoko to teach you about pure ki sometime. It'd work wonders for you. Seriously." The pig-tailed martial artist's smirk slowly turned into a grin. "Ready for round two?" His reply was a yell and a wild charge, which he met head-on.

V------------------------------V

"I'm gonna...beat the crap outta you..." Ryoga groaned. "Dream on, Ryoga...dream on," Ranma replied. The two boys were slumped on the ground, leaning on each other's backs, their eyes nearly dropping closed. "Seriously, though, ya got a lot better, P-chan." The lost boy managed a wry grin. "Thanks, Lady Ranko." The two glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes, and broke out laughing, something that, they rather quickly found out, hurt.

"Been a while since we had this much fun, eh, Ryoga?" Ranma finally asked when they had calmed down somewhat. "Yeah. When was the last time we actually fought just to beat the crap outta each other?" Ryoga mused. "I think it was back in elementary school, wasn't it?" "Yup," Ranma confirmed. "You miss those times, too?"

"Definitely." The pig-tailed martial artist sighed and glanced up at the ceiling. "Hey Ryoga?"

"Hm?"

"How come you haven't told me to bugger off and die yet? I mean, usually by this time you're going on about something or another I did to Akane, or you." Ranma chuckled. "Not that I'm complaining or anything."

Ryoga sighed before replying. "I dunno. Feels like it really ain't worth it to blame you, not with all that's been going on around here. Even I can see that there are people dying here...and compared to what's been done to the people here...I kinda feel real petty blaming you for me getting lost, ya know? I mean, I could go ahead and blame you for this mess, and I'm pretty sure you have something to do with it, but it's more important we get something done. I can still blame you for everything after we kicked these bad guys outta here."

"Ryoga?"

"Hm?"

"That was the sanest thing I've heard you say in a long time." That earned Ranma a snort and a playful jab in the ribs. "Yeah, pick on the pig 'cause I'm being nice for once. Hell, Jusenkyo doesn't even bother me much anymore. With all the mages and goddesses around, I'm pretty sure they could find a cure for Jusenkyo between them." Ryoga grinned, knowing Ranma couldn't see it. "Besides, I kinda missed having someone to beat on."

"In your dreams, P-chan," Ranma repeated, before both began snoring.

V------------------------------V

"Anything?" Urd sat herself down in a chair across from Cologne, as she eyed the sleeping Soap on the next table over. "There were some references, but those mostly refer to the setting up of the spell and the legend around it. There is no way to stop it, it seems." Even the ancient amazon seemed aggravated by the lack of progress by this time. Urd rubbed her temples, sighing. "Haven't been able to contact my sisters, either. Look, the spell is set up from a mandala, right?"

At Cologne's nod, an idea sprang up in her mind. It was risky, uncertain, and most certainly foolish. It was also their best shot. "What if we interrupt the mandala?" The elder asked. Urd shook her head violently. "Oh no. You don't wanna break a mandala if there's a spell in progress, **especially** not if there are energies of this magnitude involved. You'd risk releasing them into thin air, and anything could happen. There's a big probablility that instead of dissipating peacefully, it'll go boom and take the whole valley with it."

"We haven't got another way to stop Firkraag. We cannot let him succeed in completing the spell," Cologne argued. Urd's eyes narrowed. "That's not it. If I can get close enough I can use the setup and dissipate the energy...if we can get rid of Firkraag." "That's a big if," the amazon commented. Urd was forced to agree. "I need to go take care of something, Urd-sama," Cologne finally said after a moment of silence. "I'm worried about son-in-law. He seemed angry these last days, and then that blast he threw the other day."

"You might want to reconsider calling him son-in-law, though," Urd smirked. "'Cause I don't think he's going to choose Shampoo. Go and check up on him. I'm pretty sure whatever it was, he's worked through it. He isn't the type to be bothered by such things for long."

V------------------------------V

Cologne hopped towards Jusendo's training hall, only to find Ranma and Ryoga peacefully asleep leaning against each other. "They deserve some rest," Ryoko said from beside her, even as he slid to a stop silently. "They've been fighting for their lives the last several days. It's something they shouldn't have to do." Cologne glanced at the martial artist beside her. "They had a fight? I haven't ever seen one of their battles end like this...they look peaceful."

Ryoko chuckled. "Heh. I think they sorted out a few things. Let them rest before you go ask Ranma about what's been bothering him. Well, I gotta go."

"Where to? I was hoping I could have a sparring match with you." Cologne grinned, causing Ryoko to arch an eyebrow. Her expression was somewhat comical, if slightly creepy. "Another time, elder Khu Lon. Another time. I'm going to pay my sister a visit. She's been a little...short-tempered lately." Cologne cast one last look at the peacefully snoring martial artists, before chuckling and turning around.

V------------------------------V

The knock on her door startled Setsuna out of her short-lived reverie. She growled, mentally preparing to give a thorough tongue-lashing to whoever wanted to talk to her **now**. Couldn't people see she was sulking? It was getting rather annoying, having her thoughts of raining divine justice and vengeance upon the heads of that demon and his accomplice interrupted every ten minutes or so.

"What do you want?" She snapped, not even really bothering to check who was at the door. "Honestly, that any way to greet your brother?" Setsuna groaned. It just had to be her brother, with his usual infuriatingly cheery grin. "Hey Setsa." He walked in the door, past her, and plopped down in the seat she had previously occupied. "Haven't seen much of you lately." His eyes turned serious. "Setsuna, the other Senshi are worried about you. So are Nodoka, Kasumi, Ranma, and everyone else."

"I'm fine." The emerald-haired Senshi didn't exactly believe it, but it was as good an excuse as any. "Really? So that's why you've been brooding in here for the last three days while everyone's been fighting?" He snorted. "I doubt there's nothing wrong. Everyone has some sort of problem or another these days. You're no exception, Setsa. We all gotta deal with this situation."

"Situation?" Setsuna yelled, "You call this a 'situation'? All we've been working for, all the millennia I spent at the Time Gate, guarding the time line, watching over the Senshi...and one moment of randomness throws it all out the window! Do you even know what the Gates showed me? Death and destruction beyond all you can imagine! Compared to what is to come the destruction Beryl brought to the Moon Kingdom looks like an amusement park!" She stalked over to her brother, anger welling up inside her. He didn't understand anything. He hadn't been the one to stand guard over the time line for uncounted centuries, he hadn't worked towards achieving paradise, he wasn't the one whose dreams had been shattered in an instant. He didn't **know **what it was like.

"You know what I saw? For the first time ever, the Time Gate showed me a branch with a hundred percent probability! Nothing we do can alter the course from it! Nothing! It's all gone! The whole damn Crystal Tokyo's gone, hell, the whole world will be gone!" She snorted in disgust. "Does this classify as a 'problem'?"

Shaking his head tiredly, Ryoko eyed her carefully. This was a new side to his sister, a fragile, unstable one. He wasn't too sure how to deal with it. "We don't know for certain, Setsuna. There might be a chance..." The Time Senshi cut him off violently. "There's no chance! The Gates don't lie, and if they say a hundred percent, then it's inevitable! Get it into your damn skull! That blasted demon destroyed everything!"

"You want to just give up and die?" The martial artist stared at her incredulously, his own pride and anger starting to stir. "Listen to yourself – you sound pathethic. Your friends are out there, every night, risking their lives to help these people, and you only sit here and wail about how miserable you are because your precious Time Gate showed something damned ugly!" He took a deep breath, trying to get his emotions back under control. The last thing they needed now was to yell at each other. "The Gates have been wrong before. They are wrong now. We're not going to let it happen, Setsuna."

"You don't understand a single god-damn thing!" His sister screeched, "The Gates can be wrong if there's even a tiny chance that there's another branch! Which part of one hundred percent don't you understand? There's no way to stop it! All I've done-" She cut off abruptly as she felt a harsh sting in her cheek and stared stupidly at her brother's hand. Ryoko glared at her. He knew he was going too far, but he didn't care for the moment. He'd feel sorry later.

"So, this is all about you, isn't it? **You've** worked for ages setting up events so they'll lead to Crystal Tokyo. **You've **been the one to watch the destruction of the Moon Kingdom. **You've **been making sure Crystal Tokyo happens, and now someone took your hard work and just made it disappear like that!" He snapped his fingers. "Now listen to me. Your friends are fighting for their lives, and you know why? Because they trust in their ability to make a difference! If you want to take your destiny for granted, go ahead and lie down and prepare to die! I, for one, will fight it to the end. We make our own destiny, Setsuna. We make our own choices. And every single person in this mountain is prepared to die to change destiny."

He got up and headed for the door, hesitating only an instant in the doorway. "Other people have their problems, too, you know. Ranma still is afraid of taking lives – yet he kills the youma every night, to protect his family. Urd and Cologne haven't gotten a single step closer to breaking the Ragnarok spell, and Nodoka is worried about her son. The Senshi are cracking under the pressure of fighting every night. People are fighting to survive here. So don't talk as if you're the only one with major problems here." Before she could reply, he left.

Setsuna sank back into her seat, staring unblinkingly at the space he had occupied moments before, her unspoken words echoing in her mind. _But the Time Gates said..._

Ryoko swore as he heard the alert. He turned on his heel and rushed towards the gates, passing the Senshi on his way, and threaded his way towards Kiima, who was staring out into the night from her guard post. Ranma and Ryoga were still sleeping, Setsuna wouldn't join them tonight, either, and Nodoka was still recovering. Soap was asleep, and Cologne and Ukyo on her way. He could feel the ancient amazon's ki as it moved through the mountain, along with the okonomiyaki chef's. "How's it look, Kiima-san?"

The Phoenix woman quickly glanced at him before returning her focus to the night before them. "Patrols have spotted the first youma rising. It's looking like the typical pattern." She sighed. "It's going to be a long night," she muttered. Ryoko could only nod in agreement.


	14. Chapter Fourteen: That Which Holds Us He...

Author's Note: Yay! Another chapter out! Phew. Got some free time, and my muse is back! Some Ranma/Kasumi fluff here. On a side note, the branch with the Ranma/Kagura romance is gonna start at chapter 10, and I'm not sure when I'm gonna write that one up, 'cause I've been having way too many fanfic ideas flying around my head. Heh. Anyway, on with the story!

Chapter Fourteen: That Which Holds Us Here

Ranma dragged himself through the corridor towards his quarters. He was tired. In between the nightly fighting and his own training from the scrolls, he barely had time to sleep, and it was showing. Now, all he wanted was a bed or futon, and some peace and quiet. He considered just sleeping as he was, leaning against the wall, for a moment, but quickly dismissed that thought. The pig-tailed martial artist stumbled into his door and was snoring within moments.

He was sleeping so soundly he never heard the knock on his door. When no on answered, it slid open quietly, and Kasumi peeked in, a soft smile gracing her face as she took in the sleeping form.

V-------------------------V

Cracking an eye open to the rustle of cloth next to him, Ranma shot up, suddenly wide awake. "Ka-Kasumi?" The girl gave him a lopsided grin from where she sat next to him. "Good afternoon, Ranma-kun." The pig-tailed martial artist relaxed somewhat, gathering his wits. "So, uh, whatcha doing here?"

"I wanted to check up on you. Auntie Nodoka and I were worrying about you not getting enough rest." The eldest Tendo daughter inclined her head, mustering him for a moment. "Looks like she was right. Ranma-kun, you can't fight if you're tired." He chuckled without humor. "Tell that to them demons outside. If you can get 'em to lay off for a day or two I promise I'll catch some sleep."

She eyed him closely, and a flash of something in his sapphire eyes caught her attention. There was something about his body language that spoke of weariness, but not exhaustion. It seemed as if his body was rested while his mind was not. "There is something bothering you, Ranma-kun." It wasn't a question. His response was a quiet sigh, as he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, trying to shield them from her piercing gaze. "Please, Ranma-kun, let us help. Auntie and I aren't the only ones who worry about you. Ukyo, Nabiki, and Shampoo do, too."

"Remember a couple months back, just before the failed wedding, when all of us went to China to get Akane back?" At her nod, Ranma continued. "We never told you the details, did we? I needed the water of the main spring of Jusendo to cure Akane, and Saffron wouldn't let me have it. We fought. And I...killed him, Kasumi. I tore him to pieces. All my other tricks had failed, so I blasted him with a _Hiryuu Shôten Ha_, and he got shredded by the debris and ice."

"But Lord Saffron is still alive? I don't understand," Kasumi told him. If the boy admitted to killing the god-king of Jusendo, how come he was alive? "He's a Phoenix and a demi-god. When he died, he reverted back to an egg and hatched again." Ranma still had his eyes clenched shut against the torrent of images that flooded his mind, willing them to go away. "But that doesn't change the fact that I killed him. I took a life, Kasumi. I used the Art to harm someone. If he hadn't been what he is, he would have been gone. Dead."

The girl glanced down at the now shivering martial artist. "You did so to protect my sister, Ranma-kun. There is no shame in that. It is regrettable that you had to take a life...yet in the long run, no harm has been done, and you saved my sister. And I can only thank you for it."

"Y-you don't understand, Kasumi. If I'm not careful, I can easily kill people who aren't martial artists. If I ever loose control, if something happens, like the Neko-Ken, and I go nuts, people are gonna die!" "This isn't just about Saffron, is it?" Kasumi asked gently, as she moved to kneel next to him on the ground. He shook his head.

"No. On my training trip I came across this girl, and we travelled a bit together. A couple slavers popped up, and we tried to free the people they had caught. One of them held a gun to her and told me to stand down. He shot her anyway. He shot her, Kasumi! I felt so angry then, 'cause I couldn't help her, 'cause I wasn't fast enough, or good enough, and I got mad at them for what they did to other people...I killed him. He didn't even have time to scream. I killed another person, and this one didn't wake back up. I-" A single tear slid between his tightly shut eyelids, trickling down his cheek.

Kasumi could only sit in mute shock at his admission, her eyes trailing the teardrop's path down his face. "Ranma-kun...you are not a killer. I'm a pretty good judge of character, and you don't strike me as someone who would take taking a life lightly. You're proving my point even as we speak," she slowly began. "It is always regrettable, but no one would blame you in that situation. You've always been so passionate for your Art, and I truly believe that if you fear loosing control you will conquer that fear. It is not like you to let that fear rule you, Ranma-kun. Where is that pride of yours, the will to never admit defeat? It is what I admired about you the most. After all, 'Saotome Ranma never looses'."

"I thought I had...I wanted to be a martial artist again, not a warrior. I can't kill, Kasumi. I just can't. But now, every night, I have to kill youma, and oni, and demons, or they'll kill us. I don't know what to do anymore. Each time I fight, I find I'm loosing a part of myself to that bloodlust inside me, and it's scaring me, Kasumi." Ranma finally opened his eyes, and the girl reeled back in shock at what she saw there. These weren't the eyes of the happy-go-lucky martial artist she had known, these told her of inner conflict, despair, self-loathing, and fear.

"Sometimes, things have to be done, Ranma-kun. I wish they didn't, but these creatures are in the wrong. You have protected us so far, and I cannot find words to thank you for it. You have sacrificed more than we could ever imagine. Killing should never be easy, and you have just proven that you care about even your enemies. I would never think any less of you because you were forced to slay to keep others safe..." To make her point, she leaned closer towards him, her calm brown eyes never leaving his, as she closed the distance between them.

With a feather-light touch, their lips touched, and Ranma stiffened. After a moment, he relaxed again, nearly melting into her. Ranma looked into her eyes, searching for any sort of demand or hidden agenda...he found none. The touch wasn't demanding or seductive as the other girls', it was a simple gesture of comfort. They left it at that, even as she withdrew and smiled at him. A sudden crash jerked their attention back to their surroundings, only to find the door to the room flat on the ground, with Shampoo, Ukyo, Nabiki, and Nodoka piled on top.

"Way to go, girl!" Ukyo cheered from underneath Nabiki and Nodoka, while Shampoo just shot him a calculating grin. Nodoka wore her "my son is so **manly**" grin, and Nabiki winked at him, giving a wolf whistle.

Ranma and Kasumi glanced at each other, then back at the crowd at the door, a single thought echoing in their minds. _Weirdoes_.

V-------------------------V

"Ranma?" Said pig-tailed boy turned around at the voice, even as he closed the last of his shirt's wooden clasps. "Yeah, Shampoo?" The young amazon warrior was standing in his doorway, accompanied by a familiar figure in an okonomiyaki seller's outfit. "Shampoo come to ask you something. Spatula girl, too." That earned her a light jab in the ribs from Ukyo, who grinned at him. "What she said, Ranchan."

"Sure, come in you two." As the trio settled comfortably on the ground, Ranma eyed the two girls. Something seemed different about them. They were somewhat less hostile towards each other, and while they were lacking the battle-weariness he felt, they looked just as exhausted as everyone else. "So, what was it you wanted ta ask?" The two girls glanced at each other nervously, before starting at the same moment, "We wanted to-" They looked at each other again, each arching an eyebrow silmultaneously.

When they inclined their heads at exactly the same time, Ranma burst out into laughter, holding his sides as he slid down the wall, landing on the ground. It was a semi-hysterical laughter, but there was a part of him that found the situation genuinely comical. He was just glad that he could still laugh. Ukyo and Shampoo took one look at him, before rolling their eyes and waiting for him to calm down. "You done yet, Ranchan?"

"Yeah, kinda." He was still chuckling, but he had it somewhat under control. "Good, 'cause we wanted to ask you something...concerning our engagements." The pig-tailed martial artist snapped to upright attention in an instant. "Yes?"

"Well...we think it's about time you choose," Ukyo began. "Airen leave us fight each other long enough. Now we can die each night, have to be sure of feelings. Want to know." Shampoo agreed. "Want to know who Airen...who Ranma love." She made a point of emphasizing her use of his name. "Shampoo want to know, because Shampoo, Ukyo, and Hiba-chan may be only Amazons left."

Something about that sentence seemed odd to Ranma, even as he mulled over it. Then it clicked. _Shampoo, Ukyo, and Hiba-chan. Wait a minute...**Ukyo**?_ "What do you mean, Ukyo's an Amazon?" He spluttered out.

"Cologne invited me into the tribe. Judging from what we saw at the Musk place, there probably isn't much left of Joketsuzoku, so they offered me membership in the tribe," the chef shrugged. "I thought why the hell not. At least, I'll have some family. The way things are going I doubt my father's going to take me back – to be completely honest, I don't know if I could marry you, Ranchan. I love you...but maybe not that way, after all. I don't know, that's why I'm here. I want to find out once and for all."

Ranma opened his mouth as if to speak, then decided to close it again as he found he didn't really have anything to say. "So how do we solve this?" He finally asked. "Let's see...who are the suitors? Me, Shampoo, and Kasumi." Ukyo counted off her fingers. "No forget violent pervert girl," Shampoo added. Ranma shuddered. "No thanks. Akane's out. Definitely."

"You sure, hon?" At Ranma's nod, Ukyo shrugged. "Fine. Then it's still me, Shampoo, and Kasumi. So, who do you love?" Ranma's reply was a choked gulp, and he did a rather passable impression of a fish out of water. Shampoo and Ukyo giggled at his expression, and waited for his verdict.

"You're gonna let me choose just like that? I mean, you were always so insistent I choose you, and Shampoo and Cologne just about tried everything to get me into the tribe. I doubt the old ghoul would just let me be if I didn't choose Shampoo – right?" The amazon girl shook her head. "Shampoo talk to Hiba-chan later. Joketsuzoku in no position to demand anything right now, need help instead of enemies. We no going to make Ranma enemy." For a moment, a hint of sadness crossed her features, and Ranma began to dread having to turn her down. He'd been trying to avoid hurting any of the girls' feelings until now...now, it seemed inevitable. "Even if it mean Shampoo loose Ranma," the girl finished in a whisper.

Ukyo cut in, "Right, and as I said before, I'm not really sure what I feel about you anymore, Ranchan. I mean, part of me is still attracted to you...but a growing part of me can't see you as a lover. It'd be nice and we'd enjoy it, but it wouldn't feel right, I think. I don't know."

Ranma sank back against the wall, and onto his bed, unsure of what to say at the moment. He stared into the faces of both of the girls, his sapphire gaze boring into their eyes, searching for a trace of something to help him make a decision, to help him say anything at all. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything there that would give him a clue as to what to do. "Ucch-Ukyo," he began, deciding to get over with the more difficult of the two first. "You know you're my friend...I tried to imagine us together, but all I could see was us hanging out. You're my closest friend, Ukyo, my oldest friend, and sometimes, my only friend. I really appreciate that you've been there for me over the last year or so...but I don't love you, not that way. I do love you like my sister, but I-" he clamped up and decided to stare at his feet instead.

"I'm sorry, Ukyo," he whispered, waiting for her outburst of anger. What came instead wasn't entirely unexpected, but he hadn't dared hope for it. The okonomiyaki chef giggled slightly, and he felt a finger poking his ribs. "Hey, Ranchan. C'mon, whatcha staring at your feet for?" He looked up into her grinning face and laughing eyes, and managed a light chuckle. "That settles that, Ranchan. Oh well, guess I won't be becoming a Saotome anytime soon. I hope you still want to be friends, though," she told him. Ranma nearly leapt at her, but restrained himself and gingerly extended his arms around her, as Ukyo let herself be drawn into a hug. "Odd, how easy it is for you now to give me a hug," she noted, winking at him.

"Actually, there is a way. Mom could always adopt you into the clan. Don't think you'd want to, though, even if I'd be honored to have you as my sister." Ranma looked contemplative. "With all the stuff oyaji has pulled, there's pretty much no honor left on the name, and people are going to come after you for whatever he owes them." Ukyo shrugged. "So? Better then being a ronin. I'd love to be your sister. Tell ya what, hon, when all this is over, let's go ask her."

The pig-tailed boy slowly disengaged himself from the brunette, before leaning back against the wall again and turning his attention on Shampoo. "Shampoo...you're cute, and attractive, and strong, and intelligent." He smirked as her eyes widened. "Trust me, I know. You'd be surprised at what you can see in other people's eyes when you know what to look for. You're just really good at hiding it." The amazon broke out into a weary smile. "Ranma too too good to be fooled."

The martial artist shrugged. "Shampoo...let me ask you something. Why don't you marry Mousse?" "Shampoo no love him. Even though he good friend, it like Ranma and Spat-Ukyo. We friends, but for long time he think we can be something more." The chef had the decency to chuckle and blush at the reference.

"Right. And I don't love you, Shampoo. Not that way." It drew a sigh from the girl, but he was surprised at her lack of a more...violent reaction. "Shampoo guess for long time that Ranma no love Shampoo. Shampoo think did wrong when chasing Ranma, think should have become friend instead of enemy first." Ranma just nodded. "Yeah. Things might have been different if I didn't have to keep looking out for potions, or weird shiatsu. It...if you accept, I would be your friend, but I can't be more."

"Ranma love too too nice girl?" Shampoo winked at him. "It good choice, fit Ranma well. Shampoo still love Ranma, but will be friend. Better than nothing. Now got to tell Hiba-chan. Shampoo wish Ranma luck with nice girl Kasumi, and if Ranma ever need help with 'intimacies', Shampoo too too happy to help!" He nearly choked on that, but matched her grin when he realized she was joking. "Thanks, Shampoo. It means a lot to me."

"Shampoo know. Shampoo not have many friends, either." Ranma's eyes told them all they needed to know. Even if he wasn't good with words, they knew how important their friendship was to them. And they smiled.

V-------------------------V

The room was dark and gloomy, just as she always liked it. However, at this time the darkness wasn't as soothing as it used to be; rather, it was like a premonition of the impending destruction that awaited them. And Setsuna didn't like it one bit. What was even worse was the fact that the Gates and her personal precognition had shown her it was inevitable.

The Gates of Time had always been reliable, to the extent of the probabilities they showed. Then she recalled what Urd had once called them. _Skuld is more reliable than that piece of junk you use._ But the Gates had showed it was the only possible path, no matter what they did, as if dismissing their actions as inconsequential, mocking them with its inevitability.

Could they really be wrong? The night raid alert shook her out of her thoughts. Footsteps were rushing past her quarters, and she could hear henshin phrases being called through the thin door. The Senshi were going back out to fight tonight. But did it really matter if they fought? Did it really matter what they did, if their deaths were coming either way?

Her eyes clenched shut in anger. They had worked for a world without wars and disease, and this was how it was supposed to end? All they had achieved so far, all they had fought for...would be gone in an instant of irreversible insanity. The insanity of a single person. The thought was infuriating, and she felt her anger grow at the demon responsible. But then again, was there any reason left to fight, if they were all doomed anyway?

The Senshi were going out to battle, even the wounded were going out now, rushing into the fray to protect those who couldn't fight themselves. It was rather pathethic, she realized, even if it was futile, she was sitting around feeling sorry for all her lost work and herself while her friends and family were out fighting for their lives. Even if it was for naught, they still were determined to combat the odds.

The door to her quarters slid open, and a winged figure entered, bringing her up short. The person was not tall enough to be a Phoenix, and as a flash of magic lit the room, Setsuna stared at Sailor Moon. "Setsuna," Usagi began. "Who are you?"

"Meiou Setsuna." The green-haired woman replied on reflex.

"What are you?"

"Sailor Pluto, guardian of time."

"Who do you owe allegiance to?"

"You."

Usagi shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "No, Setsuna, not me. I may be the Moon Princess, and I may be Serenity, but ultimately, you only answer to yourself. The choices you make are yours alone, and not mine to make. I can only hope and ask you. We would love to have your help, Setsuna. There are innocent people here who are suffering, and since when have you been able to stand seeing people suffer? That's not the Setsuna I know."

"But no matter what we do..."

"We do what we must." Usagi's blue eyes bored into her crimson ones. "We have faced overwhelming odds before. And even if it truly is the only path left, no matter what we do, I will continue to fight. I believe that humans can make their own choices and their own destiny. I fight because it is the right thing to do. It is the human thing to do. I will never give up, as long as I stand, as long as there are people suffering. Defeat is not an option. Now, you have to make your choice, Meiou Setsuna, Sailor Pluto." During the course of her speech her demeanor changed, and she looked more regal, more dignified. She seemed taller than real life. This was Queen Serenity.

They were fighting destiny. And if her Queen ordered them to do so, then they would. If their Queen never gave up, then they wouldn't, either. After all, who were they to question their queen?

The time Senshi rose and produced her henshin rod. Her brother had been right. She'd been sitting around for too long. If her friends were willing to fight every night and damn the odds, then so would she. It was the human thing to do, after all.

V-------------------------V

Ryoko's danger sense tingled in the middle of his kata, and he dodged. He hadn't lived this long by ignoring his instincts, and he launched into a reverse leg-sweep even as he ducked under the punch, only to see his opponont leaping backwards. His closed eyes opened and he arched an eyebrow. "What brings you here, Setsuna?"

His sister shot him a cocky grin. "You got what you wanted. I'm off my lazy behind. So now, it's training time – after all, I'm a little rusty." She threw a snap-kick, followed by a palm-strike, both of which her brother evaded. Ryoko chuckled and retaliated with a knife hand aimed at her ribs which she easily slapped aside. The two leapt apart, into ready stances. "So...is it a challenge?" Setsuna grinned. "You bet!"

Ryoko leapt at her in a flying jump kick, which clipped her shoulder even as she turned away, and stumbled as Setsuna reached out and slammed a palm-strike into his back. The martial artist caught himself – and a snap kick, courtesty of his sister, as well, sending him careening backwards. "Not bad," he commented. "You're a bit faster than before."

"Or maybe you're just getting old, ne, Ryo-chan?" a new voice cut in. The siblings turned to see a grinning Urd at the entrance. Ryoko snorted at the goddess's comment. "Maybe. So, what can we do for you, Urd?" "Well...we need to get to Joketsuzoku," she replied, inclining her head. "I can't do anything from here, and the wild magic is interfering with my uplink to Yggdrasil. There's nothing on the records that would be of any use, so we'll have to disrupt the spell itself."

"Destroy the mandala?" Ryoko asked, "isn't that rather dangerous? If all that energy is released uncontrolled, then it could blow us all to pieces." "Best shot we have," was the silver-haired woman's sour reply. Any further comment was forestalled by a yell of outrage and a cry of pain from the other side of the training hall. All present turned their attention to the pair of fighting martial artists in an instant.

V-------------------------V

Ryoga slammed into the ground hard. It didn't really hurt, and he knew Ranma was holding back – after all, the concrete ground didn't even chip from the force of the blow. The lost boy had to admit, it was good to be rid of the ever-present depression that had taken up so much of his life before. Now, he had a friend back, and he was finally working on getting his life back under control.

Sparring with Ranma proved to be fun, fun Ryoga hadn't had since elementary school. It was the pure, heartfelt joy at competing with another, fighting just for the sake of fighting, without any hidden agendas or motives behind it. It felt...liberating. And now, he could finally see all the subtle nuances about his rival's style, the way he twisted in mid-air to remain airborne a few scant seconds longer, the way his eyes lit up when they clashed, the way he teased him.

Now Ryoga realized that Ranma was teasing him only to incite him to achieve even greater heights, spurring him on to try and overcome his pig-tailed rival and overcome his own limits time and time again. It had worked, too, oh how it had worked. For the moment, at least, the lost boy could forget the death that awaited them each night, and loose himself in the simple movements of his own family's art.

He felt the repeated impacts of the Amaguri-Ken, shied from the heat of the explosive contact of their ki blasts, and dodged Ranma's attempt to lead him into a spiral. Making the ground explode with the _Bakusai Tenketsu_, Ryoga charged forward, hoping to catch Ranma before he came down from his jump. He was only partially successful, his kick meeting his opponent's block, and he followed it with a quick ki blast. The golden barrier Ranma produced flared to life again as he worked on mastering the technique, and left both of them standing amidst the settling dust.

"Nice one, Ryoga. Almost caught me there," Ranma noted. Ryoga chuckled, before imitating his rival's trademark smirk. "I'll get you next time, Ranma." _Next time...prepare to die!_ The lost boy wondered why that thought had suddenly popped into his head. _Think about it...all the death outside, all the suffering, and he's the one responsible. If he dies, everything ends, and the nightmare will be over,_ the voice continued. Trying to push these thoughts out of his head, Ryoga missed a dodge and hit the wall with far more force than intended.

He grunted as he stood up shakily, trying to rid himself of the growing depression and anger, emotions that felt all too familiar, and were directed at their old target – the pig-tailed youth who was rushing towards him, stuttering apologies and asking if he was all right. Ryoga didn't know where those thoughts were coming from, but he didn't like where they were leading. He didn't like it one bit. The thoughts grew in intensity, until they developed into a throbbing headache that forced his own consciousness back into the dark recesses of unconsciousness and oblivion.

Ranma stopped dead in his tracks when Ryoga's aura became visible, turning from its new brilliant violet to a dark shade of reddish-green, to an ominous gray. "Ranma..." The lost boy's eyes were widened in shock and fear, and the pig-tailed martial artist could see a new emotion in his rival's eyes, something he'd never expected to see there. Helplessness. The aura grew in intensity, until the lost boy moved forward, his arm flashing forward faster than Ranma had ever seen, catching him by surprise.

The ki-charged blow connected with his ribcage, and Ranma swore he could hear ribs crack, and it was getting difficult to breathe. Skittering across the floor for a good ten feet, he picked himself off the ground and wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. Ranma's eyes widened. Ryoga wasn't holding back. Before he could finish another thought, a dark grey energy blast slammed into him, blasting into his crossed arms. He was shielding his eyes against the intensity of the blast, and didn't see Ryoga pulling off a bandanna.

Ranma's cry was due more to surprise than pain, and he turned out of the path of the remaining projectiles before they could hit him. Rolling sideways, he kicked off the ground, springing forward in a two-handed hammerblow that clocked Ryoga's head around, and followed it with a spinning kick that connected solidly with the lost boy's side. Panting heavily, Ranma backed off and took stock of his injuries. He had several cracked ribs, and the bandanna had done its part as well, cutting deeply into his hip. Warm blood was flowing down his leg, and the pig-tailed boy knew it wouldn't support his weight for much longer.

"Time to die, Saotome," Ryoga snarled, charging forward again. Ranma was barely able to mount a defense against his opponent's blows which came hard and fast – faster than anything Ryoga should be able to manage, the analytical part of Ranma's mind noted, but that information quickly took a backseat to survival instincts as he continued to try to dodge around the blows that came at near-Amaguri-Ken speeds.

"C'mon, Ryoga, what's up with you, man?" His eyes narrowed as a blow clipped his shoulder, causing him to cough up blood, and the pig-tailed martial artist lashed out once, unconsciously. Four nearly invisible distortions traversed the distance between them, and to both their shock four parallel gashes appeared on the lost boy's chest. _What the hell's with him? He's shrugging off everything I throw at him like it's nothing!_ Ranma ducked under an uppercut that would have taken off his head, and unleashed an Amaguri-Ken of his own at the lost boy's chest, following it by a point-blank ki blast. "_Môkô Takabishâ_!" The explosive force of the blast blew them apart. Ranma landed hard on his back while Ryoga simply slid back, his feet digging deep trenches into the ground.

His leg picked that moment to give out, and the pig-tailed youth collapsed. His vision began to blur as the blood loss took effect, and he coughed up blood. "Heh. Great, I'll kick his butt for this," Ranma muttered as he tried to get back to his feet. Ryoga was moving towards him, seemingly none the worse for wear, a sadistic grin plastered across his face. "Game over, Saotome."

A lightning bolt and a purple ki blast rocked the lost boy to the side, knocking him off balance. "What the hell you think you're doing, Hibiki!" Ryoko launched into a flying kick, only to have Ryoga grab his leg and drop an axe kick on the inside of his knee. The elder martial artist rolled his body with the momentum and swung his other leg into a kick across Ryoga's face, springing into a handstand and a forward flip as soon as the lost boy's grip loosened.

Urd thrust twin lightning bolts at Ryoga, only to watch as they dissipated against his battle-aura, doing minimal damage. He turned his attention to her, and the goddess shuddered at the vacant and bloodthirsty look in his green eyes. She leapt up and levitated as he barreled through the spot she had vacated a moment ago, and dodged sideways as he throw a ki blast at her. World of Elegance appeared, summoned by her mistress's call, and the two flew around the cavern, trying to pin down the cursed martial artist with their blasts.

Ryoko had managed to limp over to Ranma and tore off a strip of his shirt, binding off the wound while Ryoga was chasing around his two flying opponents. The martial artist was staring critically at the wound, assessing its seriousness. It was deep enough he was worried about whether the bone had been damaged, and would most likely require stitches. The muscles might have been damaged by with the amount of time Ranma had lasted before it gave out they should be fine. But the bleeding wasn't stopping, not with a cut this deep, and the blood was pooling around them.

"I'll take him to the medical ward," Setsuna told him as she appeared next to Ryoko. "You go take down that insane nut." He glanced at his sister for a moment, before nodding and rushing towards Ryoga. The Senshi of time waved her staff and teleported herself and the injured martial artist to Jusendo's hospital.

Ryoko gritted his teeth as his blows had no effect of the lost boy, leaping back and twisting in mid-air to avoid a bolt of energy. "What the hell's up with him?" "He's possessed," Urd replied as she caught him and moved them both out of the way of a series of ki blasts. "Wonderful."

"I think Firkraag placed a geas on him sometime before he appeared, not sure when." Urd's reply was cut off when Ryoga jumped high and floated, his aura condensing below him to form a cushion. The goddess reeled back from the blow and slammed against the far wall of the cavern, while Ryoko grabbed hold of the lost boy's arm, whispering, "_Munashii Raishuu_."

Ryoga buckled in mid-air under the repeated palm strikes, and Ryoko could feel the ribs crack under his blows as he kept up the attack. Finally, Ryoga swung his arm around and kicked out, catching his opponent's shoulder. With a grunt of pain Ryoko let go and drew a fan with his good hand, stabbing it at a pressure point on the lost boy's arm as he dropped. He twisted in the air, and narrowed his eyes. "_Tenmou_."

The ground in front of the martial artist exploded into geysirs of energy, that lanced out at his enemy, buffeting him around. Ryoga hit the ground, actually taking a moment to get back up as World of Elegance continued to rain energy blasts on him. Ryoko settled into a defensive stance, only to have the fight end with a splash as Urd conjured up a deluge above the lost boy's head. "Should've thought of that earlier," she chided herself.

"Heh, yeah," Ryoko agreed as he limped forward and picked up the little black pig by its bandanna. "Can you purge the geas?" "No problem."

Blinding white light was the first thing that informed him of his state of wakefulness. Ranma blinked several times, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the light, and took stock of his situation. _Hm...lying down, somewhere. My leg doesn't hurt anymore, and that pressure is probably a bandage. Major headache, and bruises all over._ His stomach growled, and he mentally added, _hungry, too. Wonder what happened to Ryoga?_

He finally opened his eyes and glanced around the assembled faces that displayed a mixture of concern and anger. "Eh...hi guys?" He greeted them lamely. Kasumi sat by his side, smiling serenely, with Nodoka occupying the other side of his bed, a worried expression set on her face. Akane was at the foot of his bed alternating between staring at him and something else, which turned out to be Ryoga lying on the next bed over, and Cologne was rebandaging his leg.

"What happened, Ranma?" His mother asked. "Setsuna appeared in here all of a sudden with you, but she didn't tell us anything." He glanced over at his rival on the next bed, before replying. "Ryoga kinda went nuts. Dunno what happened to him, though, I think I passed out halfway through the fight."

"That wasn't Ryoga, at least not quite," Urd noted as she strolled over, Ryoko limping in after her. "He was under a geas that somehow kicked in now. I cleared it out of him, so he should be fine now." "So, how's he now?" Ranma asked, faintly recalling the fight.

Ryoko grumbled a reply as he sat down on a stool. "He's fine. But there's something odd...there's four parallel cuts on his chest, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't me." The pig-tailed martial artist's eyes widened. "You think...the Neko-Ken?" The older man shrugged. "Beats me. If you want my personal opinion, yes. Only thing that could have done that kind of damage in that situation."

Ranma thought back, mulling over his previous fights. There was something odd nagging on the edge of his memory. _Each time I blacked out for a moment, and afterwards the youma was dead,_ he realized. He mentally skimmed the last several nights. The memory gaps were still there, but growing shorter, and he could recall blurry images. _Oh no...I'm loosing control of the Neko-Ken._

The fight with Ryoga was all a blur, the adrenaline mixing with his survival instincts to dim the memory of it, but now that he thought about it, there was one instant of crystal clarity. _Let's see...Ryoga threw that punch...and then..._The lost boy seemed to move in slow motion as the pig-tailed martial artist replayed the battle in his head. The punch flew at him at a snails pace, he remembered spinning around, remembered the pain, rememebered his instincts kicking in...and then raking his hand through the air, and the distinct feeling of dissipated ki.

"Damn," Ranma mumbled. Everyone was staring at him. What was it Kagura had told him? _The Neko-ken is the manifestation of your basic survival instincts. Your body is conditioned so that when a survival situation comes up your mind shuts down when a very strong and uncontrollable emotion appears, and your body takes over._ "What is it, Ranma?" Nodoka asked him softly, worried about the frightened look she had seen crossing her son's eyes.

"I'm loosing it, mom. The Neko-Ken's coming out." The stares around the bed ranged from inquisitive to outright scared, a feeling Ranma was all too familiar with. Then again, he **had** been in a critical situation, and had had to rely on his survival instincts. And each time the memory had gotten clearer. What did it mean? _Your fear of cats is the trigger for the Neko-ken, but any powerful emotion that would be too much for your mind to take would do. You need to control your mind's reaction, in order to control the Neko-ken_, the words echoed in his mind.

The answer was simple, each time he was on the battlefield he'd felt a an overwhelming hatred, directed at the person responsible for causing all of them to have to fight for their lives. And then, with Ryoga...desperation, born out of the need to survive and see this through, anger at the betrayal, hatred at the person he subconsciously knew was responsible for doing this to his friend. It had opened ki pathways in his body he never knew existed.

As he replayed the battle in his mind, he could almost feel the ki surging through him, at an intensity that made the memory almost tangible, almost real. "Ranma." He turned at the mention of his name. "Get some rest," Ryoko told him. "Tomorrow we can figure things out."

V-------------------------V

Firkraag cracked an eye open and smirked. Winds were howling around him, kicking up dust from the ground as he moved across the deserted town square of the amazon village. _So, the boy knows the Neko-Ken, eh? This will make matters a lot more interesting._


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Crimson Sky

Chapter Fifteen: Crimson Sky

"Well, Ranma, what do you think?" The pig-tailed martial artist turned around to stare at the person who was standing behind him in the wrecked training hall. "No clue. I think the Neko-Ken's somehow tied to m survival instincts, and whenever I feel a really strong emotion or someone is in real danger, my mind shuts down and it takes over." He sighed, "at least, that's the best explanation I've heard so far."

"Well, does it work for you?" Ranma nodded, sitting down and leaning against the wall. "I keep getting these...blackouts. Whenever I get into a fight the last couple nights, I can barely recall what I did at one instant, but I always know the youma's dead afterwards. It's been getting clearer, and when I think about the fight with Ryoga now, there's this one point where I remember everything, from the way my heart beat to the ki that I used to cushion the blow. I slashed at him, and there were those four barely visible ki blades."

Ryoko dropped down next to the pig-tailed boy. "So, what do make of it?"

"Dunno. At that fight I was kinda...scared, but I was angry, too. I think I know that wasn't really Ryoga somehow, and I hated whatever did it to him." The elder martial artist arched an eyebrow and stared at the boy next to him, extending his senses. There were subtle differences in the boy's ki flows, he noted, and there were several patterns in his aura that had grown in intensity, going from a nearly undetectable anomaly to taking up a major part of his aura.

"Channel your ki, try to raise your aura," Ryoko told him. The pig-tailed martial artist arched an eyebrow, but complied. His aura shimmered into existence, the electric blue glow slowly shifting towards a golden color. Ryoko stared at it, feeling the lines of power that emanated from the boy. There was a new set he had never noticed before, and it startled bhim to note that the Saotome heir's aura was composed of nearly pure ki. Purer than he should have been able to muster at this stage of his training.

Ranma opened his eyes and blinked, before glancing at Ryoko. "So?" The older martial artist sat back and shrugged. "I have a theory, not sure if it's right." Ranma grinned wryly. "Your guess is as good as mine," he said.

"Well, your aura's off." He held up a hand to forestall Ranma's comments, and continued. "It's not a bad thing, it's just...weird. Your aura is nearly completely pure ki. It's almost at my or Herb's level, and that's way farther than you should be able to access with your present training. I also sensed some ki paths through you that weren't there before. My guess is the Neko-Ken forms those pathways during the training, but they are buried so deeply beneath survival instincts and fear that they're almost gone."

"And because I didn't know how to access ki at the time, I-" "You tapped into pure ki on instinct," Ryoko finished. "Makes sense. It would explain why the trainee has to be a young child. The trainee must not have any knowledge of ki, or how to access it, or the Neko-Ken created ki flows will interfere with what's already there. And each time the Neko-Ken comes out, you loose consciousness and access these ki pathways. It's what makes the Neko-Ken so strong. But in order to bring them out, your mind has to let go of all it's buried under, so it shuts down."

By now, Ranma was nearly standing. "But with your training, when I learned how to access pure ki, it strengthened these pathways." Ryoko nodded. "Yes. That is why you've been able to use the Neko-Ken on occassion, when your mind can pierce through the fear and instinct that covers it. It also explains why you can remember what happened. It also means that you have to find a trigger for it, or you won't be able to control it."

"And if I can't?" The pig-tailed martial artist was starting to not like the direction this was headed. "If you can't and you loose control...then...don't think about it." Ranma sat back on his haunches. Why couldn't he ever do things the easy way?

V---------------------V

Ranma stopped in front of the door, unsure of whether he should actually enter. He snorted at the thought that the great Saotome Ranma was afraid of entering a girl's room. He raised his hand to knock and hesitated, but the choice was taken out of his hand when the door opened, and Nabiki stared at him. "Hey, Saotome." Her grin looked positively devilish, Ranma thought. "Hiya Nabiki," was all he managed.

The girl studied him for a moment, her gaze wandering from his eyes to his face and down his body, only to return to his eyes. She smiled slightly at what she saw there, a genuine smile she hadn't shown for years. He had that **look**, the one that told her she could trust him unconditionally, and that he would give it his all to protect them. Determination and compassion, she thought, something that he had shown them since the day he arrived on the Tendo Dojo's doorstep.

She pulled him aside quickly, and headed down the corridor for a few feet, before stopping and glancing at him again. "Saotome...I know you heard this before, from Akane, most likely. But if you **ever** hurt Kasumi, I'll make your life hell." She smiled, then. "But I know you won't, so you won't have anything to worry about. I trust you will do right with her, Ranma-kun. Make her happy."

The pig-tailed martial artist stood, staring at the middle Tendo sister in confusion, until he realized the meaning behind her words. A smile spread across his face, as well, and he nodded. "Count on it, Nabiki. I won't let anything happen to hear, I promise." _And Saotome Ranma **always** keeps his promises,_ Nabiki mentally added. And suddenly, she felt a tinge of sadness fall over her. Sadness and regret at herself and her actions that had driven this loyal and dedicated young man away from her the day he had stumbled into their lives.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, so quietly he wasn't sure if he had imagined it or not. He saw the unshed tears in her eyes, though, and hesitantly pulled her into a hug. Nabiki let go of the wavering control she had over her emotions, and the fear for their lives, her self-loathing and regret, her anger and pride manifested themselves as tears that soaked the front of Ranma's shirt. "I'm sorry," she muttered again, "for not giving you a chance."

The pig-tailed martial artist glanced at her in shock. Now that was something he hadn't expected. "What for?" He whispered back. Still sobbing, the girl's voice cracked as she spoke in a hushed whisper. "When you first came...I was afraid of what you were, afraid of the unknown. I tried to push all my troubles on you, looking for the easy way out. I made you my entertainment because I didn't want to let you close to me. I was afraid you'd be like all the other boys. I'm sorry."

Ranma just stood and held her, shocked at the confession. When she had calmed down somewhat, she looked up, and he could see the contentment in her eyes. Her lips curled into a crooked smile as she leaned up and kissed him quickly. Reflexively, he tried to pull back, before realizing he didn't feel anything. It wasn't a demand, or seductive...it was a gesture of comfort, much like Kasumi had given him several days before. Simple friendship, and, to an extent, brotherly love were what he felt for the girl in his arms, and she seemed to realize it. With a smile that managed to convey happiness and sadness at the same time, she let him go.

"We could have had something special," she said as she turned to leave. She could still hear his words trailing after her..."Thank you." And that was all it took for her. Tendo Nabiki was back, and the Ice Queen was gone.

V---------------------V

Ranma stood still in the hallway, staring down the direction Nabiki had vanished in. He smiled slightly, the girl was letting go of her facade. He hated to see her hurt, but he knew he could do nothing more to help her. He had done what he could, and he was confident she would be working through the remainder of it by herself.

With a smile still on his face, he headed back to the room the Tendo sisters shared, and knocked. Akane opened the door, and shot him an insecure glance at him. He smiled shyly at her, and Akane giggled. "Hey, you big baka. Come in." He chuckled and entered the room. "So, what did you want?" He could see a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. "Wanted to make out some more with oneesan?"

He was about to deny it to prevent her from going into her "all boys are perverts"-routine, but he didn't have to. Akane held the stern look for a moment before giggling. "You should have seen your face! It was priceless! You looked so scared!" The pig-tailed martial artist glared at her for a moment before seeing the humor in the situation and joining her. "I just wanted to talk," he said after they had calmed down.

"Ranma-"

"Akane-"

They stared at each other as they began at the same time, only for Ranma to shrug and wait for Akane to start. "I'm still not sure I can get used to you like this, Ranma," she giggled, "You're making it hard for me to get mad at you for anything." He raised an eyebrow. "That is the general idea, you know."

"It's going to take some getting used to, you know. Seeing you like this. You're so...different from before," Akane shrugged. "Anyway. I thought about what you said to me the other day, and what happened on your training trip. I started training again. Seriously." The determination in her eyes left no doubt as to the truth of that statement. "Ranma...I want to fight with you. When you go and fight the bastard who's responsible for this. I wanna come along."

"Akane, this is-" She cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Don't you start with that 'it's dangerous' thing again. I know it's dangerous. I know I'm not as good as you or Ryoga-kun, or Herb. But I want to help. I'm a martial artist. It's my duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

He was saved from having to answer that when the door opened and Kasumi came in. Akane grinned conspirationally and left, leaving Ranma and her sister alone in the room. "Ranma-kun!" Kasumi's face lit up in a smile. He blushed and turned away, only looking back at her when he felt her sit down next to him.

"Ka-Kasumi!" _Great...now I'm starting to act like Doc Tofu!_ He mentally groaned and kicked himself, only to realize he had actually kicked himself, and that Kasumi was staring at him with a weird mix of amusement and curiosity. "Eh...hehe..." he chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. Kasumi smiled at his antics, and Ranma couldn't help but forget about his embarassment and smile, as well.

"I...well...just wanted to...uh..." he attempted to stutter out what he'd come here to say, only to have the words stick in his throat and refuse to come out. _Damn, why does this happen to me?_ He scrunched his brow in frustration, before taking a deep breath and tensing, as if firing off a ki blast. Kasumi noted absently that his aura had become almost tangible. She knew he would eventually come out and say what he had wanted to tell her, so she allowed him the time to form the right words.

"I...wanted you to know...that I care for you." He took his time with each word, making sure it was perfectly understandable and clear, so that he wouldn't have to repeat himself. Kasumi smiled at his words, understanding the underlying meaning. "Thank you, Ranma-kun," she said, her hold over her own emotions growing frailer by the second. She felt happy and content, knowing that he was developing feelings for her, and pride that he'd had the courage to come and tell her.

"I'm sorry," Ranma said, his eyes downcast. He hadn't been able to say those three words, after all. He'd still had his doubts, his fears about the outcome of this whole situation. A comforting hand rested on his shoulder, and he looked up into Kasumi's brown eyes, seeing no reproach, no sadness there, only joy and understanding. "I understand," she whispered. "You will be able to say it when your heart is ready. And I'll be waiting."

V---------------------V

"Glad you could join us," Urd noted as Setsuna and Ryoko entered the throne room which now doubled as improptu war room. "We think we have a plan." Ryoko arched an eyebrow. "You think?" The goddess shot him a dirty look, before continuing.

"We are agreed on the fact that we can't hole up here forever. Eventually, the constant attacks are going to wear us down," Urd glanced across the room and took in the tired faces of the assembled. "More than they already have," she amended. "So, we'll have to fight back."

Cologne hopped forward on her staff, indicating a map that had been hung up on the wall. "This is a map of Jusenkyo Valley. Firkraag has holed himself up here," she indicated the amazon village, "We do not know if he has any other troops than the youma he has been using to attack so far. But we will have to risk attacking them, before the spell can gain power and be completed."

"Because of the spell's magnitude and power, it has to be channeled through some physical form, most likely a mandala. The plan is to disrupt it and discharge the energy in a purification spell that will clear the entire valley of anything demonic," Urd took over. "We won't have enough troops to fortify Jusendo and lead the attack...so we'll have to make the first strike count." She stepped aside as Herb and Kiima moved forward.

The Musk prince exchanged a glance wih the Phoenix woman, who shot him a mild glare. "Joketsuzoku is naturaly fortified. We have neither the time nor the firepower for a frontal attack, so we will have to 'divide and conquer,' so to speak." Indicating the map, he continued, "We will stage diversions here, here, and there. The main strike force will come in from the west, where the rainfall of this season has caused landslides and damaged the forts and walls. A small complement of the Phoenix and myself will bypass the walls and open the gates from the inside."

Kiima looked as if she had more to say, but closed her mouth and sighed. She didn't like having the Musk prince commandeer her and her troops around as easily as that, but she had to admit his tactics were sound. So, she cleared her throat. "Once inside, we will secure the village, and. Our first priority will be disruption of the spell, then termination of those creatures. We have no idea of the enemy's numbers, but this is the only chance we have."

V---------------------V

Dawn was nearing, and the flanks of Mount Phoenix were strangely devoid of creatures. An unearthly silence fell across the plains as the few scattered oni and youma searched for victims, and found none. Few arrows flew over the walls of the fort that was home of the phoenix, and not a single warrior was found outside.

With the first ray of sunlight, the demonic army began to fade away. And far in the distance, at the gates of Joketsuzoku, the battle began.

In a heartbeat, the silence around the village shattered, the battlecries of Musk and Phoenix alike piercing the morning air as they rose from their hidden posts and rushed forward. Morning fog parted as the Musk swiftly stormed towards the gates of the amazon village, under the cover of the Phoenix who were melting their way through the village's fortifications from the sky.

The few youma that lingered around were quickly overwhelmed, and one by one the walls around the village fell.

V---------------------V

Herb glanced at the young Phoenix guard who Kiima had assured him was one of their best, and nodded. The young Phoenix ignited an arrow and shot it high into the air. On his signal, Herb and a complement of Phoenix rose into the air, rising quickly from their hiding spots and passing the defensive walls, then dropped as quickly has they had taken to the skies. Herb didn't waste time with the gates, blasting the hinges from the inside, melting the massive metal clasps that held the impressive wall in place.

V---------------------V

The attack force rushed into the village through the open gates. By this time the youma and oni had regrouped and were forming a protective circle around the town square. The incoming warriors crashed into them.

V---------------------V

Ranma whirled his sakabatou around him as he encountered the oni. He had insisting on accompanying the attack, and had been the first to rush in. Instinctively, he reversed the blade and began slashing his way through the horde standing between him and whatever they were protecting. Their opponents may not be very tough to fight, and may not know how to fight...but they made up for it in sheer numbers.

The pig-tailed martial artist frowned and switched the blade to his left hand, and began unleashing his father's sealed techniques.

V---------------------V

"_Hinokuruma_!" The purple ki blast slammed into the ranks of the youma, incinerating most upon contact. Ryoga charged forward, swinging his umbrella left and right. As soon as Ranma had announced he'd be in the first attack wave, Ryoga had voiced the same request. The lost boy had never fully gotten used to battle, but it was something that had to be done. And so, for the first time in over ten years, he swung his umbrella, aiming for killing blows.

To either side of him, Ukyo and Shampoo were charging into the fray headlong alongside him. Neither of the girls was fond of killing, but they had been trained for it, had known what it took out of them. Ryoga had never actively trained to kill someone, and in a way he envied them. They had been prepared for this sort of thing. He hadn't.

V---------------------V

Ryoko gritted his teeth as he slashed around him with his fans, clearing a path for him that lasted only moments before new youma filled the gaps he tore. Urd was a step behind him, keeping the oni that tried to sneak up on him off his back. He shot a glance over where Herb and Cologne were fighting, then his eyes flickered to Kiima instructing her troops from high in the sky as the Phoenix rained fireballs and arrows into the fight.

V---------------------V

Firkraag smirked as he heard the commotion. He knew they would come eventually, but he never would have thought that it would be so soon. It would be a minor annoyance. He paused in collecting energy from the pools of Jusenkyo and summoned a portal, luring out youma and oni. They would run to their doom. The portals remained open, more demons rushing out to the smell of fresh blood.

V---------------------V

Ranma turned around and stared outside as he reached the town square. The demons had turned around and were now surrounding them. He slowly backed off till his back hit something. He threw a quick look over his shoulder and noticed it was Ryoga. "Hey P-chan." His rival smirked. "'lo Ranko. Good day to die?"

The Saotome youth shook his head and grinned. "Nah. Bad day to die. I plan to live to a great old age, ya know." The lost boy copied his grin. "Then let's get to it!"

"_Môkô Takâbishâ_!"

"_Hinokuruma_!"

The twin yells were accompanied by two blasts of energy that lanced outwards from the two boys, cutting into the ranks of the youma. "Nice shot," Ryoko commented as he joined them. He tossed a glance at Urd, and the goddess nodded, levitating off into the air and began casting a spell as soon as she caught sight of the portals.

Thunder crashed above them even though it was still early morning, and the sky darkened ominously. The air crackled with unreleased power as the goddess began to draw energy from her surroundings. The demons shied back from the small ring of Musk, Phoenix, and martial artists, nervously holding the circle around them, neither charging forward nor backing off.

The spell Urd had prepared unloaded itself, and the portals closed. The youma, instinctively knowing that their path home had been cut off and the divine magic had been dispelled, roared in anger and bloodlust, and attacked once more.

V---------------------V

Ducking a claw that was aiming to take off his head, Ranma lashed out in a legsweep that connected with an armored appendage of the youma in front of him, and he winced slightly. Spinning away from the youma, he backed off and narrowed his eyes. His sakabatou changed hands to his right, and he swung it upwards in one smooth motion. "_Do-Ryu-Sen_!" The hail of rocks and dirt bombarded the youma, but it ignored the projectiles and charged him again.

This time he was ready. Bringing his left arm across his chest and flinging it back out again, he sent a vacuum blade flying at it, cleaving it neatly in half. He swore when his foot caught on something, and he heaved upward to free it. It wouldn't budge. Ranma looked down to see what had happened, only to see a glowing circle trace itself around him, inscribed into a six-pointed star.

Before he could open his mouth a shimmering red barrier raised itself between him and the rest of the world. He banged against the inside of it, attempting to get out, but reeled back as he burned his hands. "_Môkô Takabishâ_!" The ki blast slammed uselessly against the inside of the ward, dissipating into smoke as it hit the barrier.

The energy wall itself was translucent, and he could see the battle raging around him through a reddish tinge.

V---------------------V

"Ranma!" Ryoko turned to the female shout, only to see a red barrier rising around the pig-tailed martial artist. He swore under his breath and rushed over, launching a windblade at the barrier, knowing it would do nothing. "Urd!" The goddess was already on it, chanting as she drew upon what was left of her divine powers. Her aura rose around her in a silver light, extending to the globe that held Ranma, the silver warring with the red for dominance as she fought to break through the shield.

Ryoko turned his back towards them and eyed the incoming youma. Cologne and Soap passed him, their own magic wards in hand. He received a curt nod from the amazon matriarch, and called out to Herb and Kiima to pull the troops into a defensive perimeter. They were now completely surrounded, with Ranma and the spelltrap holding him in the midst of them.

V---------------------V

Ranma sent several more ki blasts against the walls holding him captive, but each attempt met the same result, and by now he was struggling to breathe. He felt tired and cumbersome, and a small part in the back of his mind reminded him that he shouldn't be feeling this drained after only a handful of attacks. He sat down on the ground, trying to catch his breath and watched as Urd attempted to break the barrier from the outside.

His eyes slowly drifted shut, and he had to jerk himself awake. When he realized what was going on, he didn't have enough strength left to stand up. _I'm being drained. My ki...it's like Hinako-sensei's technique, only slower._ Cologne and Soap arrived outside of the barrier and a flash of light indicated the Senshi had teleported in. He caught Cologne's attention, and mouthed, "Ki drain," before slumping back onto the ground.

The elder's eyes grew wide, and she quickly consulted with Soap in Mandarin. The two were joined by Setsuna. The time Senshi attempted blasting the sphere with her _Dead Scream_ once, only to find out it was immune to condensed temporal flux. The three watched silently as Urd's dispelling magic crept its way over the barrier, strands of silver slowly worming themselves through the red.

Setsuna could feel the magical energy being drawn from the nearby valley of Jusenkyo towards the spelltrap, could feel it mingling and gaining power. "It's a trap!" Urd cracked one eye open, sweat running down her forehead as she kept up her concentration. "I know," the goddess replied, "it's not just a spellward. It's a powerdrain array. If we don't shut it down soon he'll have collected enough energy to shut down Yggdrasil."

The emerald haired woman nodded grimly, and began focusing her own magical powers into the goddess's spell. Cologne and Soap shared a quick glance, and sat down to meditate, attempting to lessen the ki flows in the area that were streaming over from Jusenkyo.

V---------------------V

Ryoko looked up from where he had cut a youma to pieces as an ominous rumble went through the sky. "This isn't good," Herb noted next to him. The martial artist could only nod. The Musk prince indicated back towards the spelltrap. "Saotome is unconscious." Ryoko's blood froze as the sky continued to rumble and clouds began to form.

Bright light flared from behind them, emanating from the spelltrap, extending far into the sky, shooting upwards in a brilliant crimson beam of light. The wind howled and for a moment Ryoko swore he could hear the souls of the dead scream in agony as the energy that bound them to this world was ripped away.

The sky went dark.

V---------------------V

"We've got a massive power surge incoming!" Peorth whirled around so fast she nearly slammed into Chrono as the young goddess showed her the readouts. "It's larger than anything we anticipated, our pattern buffers won't be able to handle it." There was a hint of panic creeping into Chrono's voice.

Peorth couldn't fault her. She looked at the numbers, and, for the first time since she could remember, she prayed. Consoles all over the Yggdrasil control rooms went dark and exploded in sparks as gods and goddesses scurried for cover. The room went dark.

V---------------------V

Kiima landed softly on the ground and glanced up at the darkening sky, and the energy beam piercing to the heavens. The Phoenix woman could feel the power radiating off the spell, and it frightened her. She was untrained in the magical arts, and everything that held enough energy to be noticeable to the untrained and unsensitive was something that should not be messed with.

Setsuna took note of the events around her, of the sudden power surge, but fixed her concentration on the task of breaking the barrier with Urd.

The Senshi looked up fearfully. It reminded them too much of the time Beryl had attacked the Moon Kingdom. The skies had been turned black with her evil and her youma. The Senshi shuddered as the memories resurfaced.

Herb could only stare heavenward as the skies rumbled and protested. Next to him, Ryoko was clenshing his jaw and tightening his hold on his fans until his knuckles turned white.

And the sky turned crimson.


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Mark of Evil

Author's Note: Well, here's the next chapter. I apologize for the shortness of it, but it seems that as the situation gets more hectic, so does the chapter. For some reason I can't find a way to make it longer, and rather than writing some stuff that really doesn't fit I decided to leave it at that. The next chapter will most likely be short, as well; however, this story is nearing its conclusion. As I've planned it out so far, there will be 2 more chapters, and maybe an epilogue to tie up loose ends (or make some, hehe).

Chapter Sixteen: The Mark of Evil

Ranma looked around him, wondering what he had done this time to annoy one deity or the other that they would load him up with these problems. The pig-tailed boy was surrounded by a spreading darkness, and in the distance he could see fires burning. The sky above him shone with countless stars, but instead of comfort, he felt fear and anxiety. He turned around in a circle, trying to locate anything familiar, and when that failed, shrugged and set off towards the light of the fires.

It was a village, he noted as he approached it from over a hilltop, brightly illuminated by the burning fires and lanterns. Yet for some reason the place felt wrong, much like the rest of the area around him. It had a feeling of nothingness to it, as if it were unreal and real at the same time. Ranma wondered if this was something that was beyond his comprehension and his mind was trying to make it understandable for him.

The village, it turned out, was empty. The fires were burning, the houses were lit, but there wasn't a single soul on the streets, not a single animal roaming the place, not a single firefly hovering in the air. Then, all of a sudden, a life seemed to flood in, and people started appearing, going after their everyday tasks, little children laughing, playing. And ignoring him, as if he weren't there.

As he continued to wander the now populated streets, Ranma took care to watch the people that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. He smiled at the happiness, the peace that surrounded him, wishing he and his friends could live like this. A rumble in the sky broke the peace around him, and he glanced up, to see a wave of blackness sweep across the heavens, leaving only darkness behind.

It passed through the streets, eating up the town, the hills, the people, erasing them from existence. It continued until only Ranma was left standing in the middle of nowhere. And all of a sudden, he felt cold.

Ryoko ducked under a claw and retaliated by stabbing his fan through the joint of the appendage of the offending demon, before letting the fan drop open and sending a windblade towards the next youma. His breathing was labored, and more than once he found himself rubbing his eyes to rid them of the blurriness that was creeping into his vision. "Ryoko!" He reacted to Ukyo's call a split second too late and could only manage to bring his open fan before him in the hope to deflect some of the force of the blow when the youma was incinerated by a ki blast.

"Make sure you don't die on us," Herb snorted, a hint of amusement in his eyes. Ryoko nodded in return and shook his head to clear it. _Damn. That was too close a call._ He returned his attention to the battle raging before them, and rushed back in, crossing his fans to intercept an overhead blow, before slamming them wide and reaching in with a snap-kick to the youma's chest that would have smashed its ribcage, had it been human.

Kiima was floating alongside her lord as they continued to rain fire and arrows on the youma that had the defenders pinned down. The battle was not going well, the Phoenix woman noted, despite the fact that the portals had been sealed, the youma still held the advantage in numbers. She spared a glance at Saffron, and noted sweat running down his forehead as he struggled to keep up a continuous stream of fireballs. Phoenix warriors were dashing in and out of engagements all around them, striking whenever possible and retreating to the skies before the youma could counterattack.

This hadn't been part of the plan, she grimaced, but then again they had grossly underestimated their enemy's numbers. She just hoped their mages would be able to stop whatever events had been set into motion. The blood-red sky was starting to irritate her.

Herb turned to face the crowd of oni that had shoved their way in front of him. Mint and Lime stood next to him, cracking their knuckles. Wordlessly, the Musk prince shot forward, hurling ki blasts into their opponent's ranks, his two retainers only a step behind him as they plowed through the demon horde. The dragonchild didn't want to admit it to himself, but he felt his ki reserves dwindling away, and that wasn't a good thing. Still, he was determined to see this battle through. He noted the two girls who had accompanied Ranma falter, and shot a ki blast as large as he could manage between them and the youma that were trying to reach them, and noted that they had sot him a grateful glance, before regrouping.

Shampoo's sharp intake of air was the first sign for Ukyo something was wrong, but the ki blast that cut them off from their opponents and gave them a moment's breathing space proved her wrong. A blast of this magnitude could only have come from three people, and Ranma was still caught in the spell trap, while Ryoga was on the other side of the battlefield. She glanced over at Herb and nodded a silent thanks, before she and Shampoo fell back, letting Musk and the few remaining amazon warriors that had come with them from Brush's war party take over.

"This not good," the lavender-haired amazon noted, as she steadied her breathing. Ukyo could only nod as she leaned on her combat spatula. "Sure ain't, hon." The oknomiyaki chef spared a glance at the crimson barrier that held Ranma. "Think they can get Ranchan out of it soon? We could sure use his help." Shampoo chuckled. "Husband too too godly martial artist, but too too lazy. Must pick on him later for letting us do all the fighting."

Ukyo couldn't help but laugh. The look of righteous indignation on her friend's face was so overdone she couldn't help herself. The amazon managed to hold the look for a moment, before joining her in laughter. After the two of them had caught their breath, they cast a look around the battlefield, and spotted Ryoga and Akane fighting off a group of spider-like oni. More specifically, it was Ryoga trying to keep Akane alive while she attempted completely useless attacks, all the while screaming in rage and frustration.

Neither of the two saw the youma coming up from behind them until it was too late, and Ryoga yelled out in pain as a claw cut deep into his shoulder. Akane had turned around and froze at the sight of the lost boy covered in blood, the claw still buried deep in his shoulder. Ukyo and Shampoo landed next to her, warding off the incoming demons with spatula and bonbori, while nudging a motionless Akane back towards the relative safety of the circle the troops had formed.

Ryoga felt the blood and sweat run down his face as he dropped to his knees in an attempt to dislodge the claw. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see a second pair of claws moving to decapitate him. Refusing to go down with a fight, he stabbed his finger into the ground with a shout of "_Bakusai Tenketsu_!" The soil exploded upwards at the youma, making it buckle backwards from the force of the impact, but it held on steady to his shoulder, and Ryoga could feel the serrated claw bumping and grinding against his flesh and bone, ripping up more of his shoulder in the process.

The youma's other appendage reoriented itself and jabbed at him in an attempt to stab him, and he turned aside. It wasn't enough, but it was sufficient to keep him alive. Instead of gutting him the claw grazed his ribcage, and he could feel several ribs cracking under the pressure. The lost boy felt blackness creep into his vision, and felt inclined to give in to it, just to escape the pain. _Nice and warm...yeah, wouldn't hurt anymore...Wouldn't..._He jerked himself awake when a brilliant silver glow turned the youma – including the appendage that had been buried in his shoulder – to dust. Ryoga was vaguely aware of Mint carrying him back towards the center of their makeshift fortification, while the Senshi held back the oni.

Ranma wandered the blackness around him for what seemed like a short eternity, until he gave up and sat down. There was nothing in the nothingness around him, and it was getting pointless to walk if he couldn't get anywhere. He felt cold, alone, and helpless, and he hated it. Every single second of being here, trapped kami knew where, while he was sure his friends and family were fighting for their lives.

He tried to raise his aura to provide some light and comfort, but he couldn't feel his connection to his ki anymore. He continued to try, until he gave up that futile effort, as well. Ranma slumped to the ground, laying down on his back, head pillowed on his crossed arms as if staring up into the night sky...only, there wasn't a sky. He felt exhausted and tired, fighting to keep his eyes from falling shut.

A single twinkle caught his eyes, and he squinted at it, fearing he had imagined it. But no, it was there, a single, dim light hidden among the black curtain around him. The pig-tailed martial artist sighed and let his thoughts wander. Ukyo, Shampoo, Akane and Ryoga, he knew, were out fighting. Kasumi, his mother, and Nabiki had remained at Jusendo. He wondered how they were. He smiled at the thought of Kasumi, and her face appeared before his mental eyes, smiling at him.

And as tired as he felt, as drained as he felt without his connection to his ki, the image of her smile revitalized him. The memory of their first, chaste kiss brought a blush to his cheeks, and he grinned. _Sometimes, things have to be done._ Her words echoed in his ear. _But I feel so tired...lemme rest a while. Can save 'em tomorrow..._He closed his eyes sleepily, only to have his mind invaded with the image of youma storming into Jusendo, and the vision of his dead family.

His eyes snapped open, nearly glowing with the intensity of his stare. Tired or not, there was no way in hell he would let it come to that. He wouldn't let anyone hurt Kasumi or his mother...or any of his friends, for that matter. He...loved them too much to let them go. _Ucchan...Mom...Kasumi...Shampoo, I'm coming._

A surge of power went through him, and his aura flared into existence, an ethereal golden glow that lit up the blackness around him, warring with the darkness for dominance. Ranma stood and let it happen, letting the ki course through him and fighting to push back the darkness around him.

Urd diverted a little of her attention as she noticed the pressure on her spell had decreased, and disrupting the barrier had become easier, almost as if..._Someone's fighting it from the inside! Damn that boy, he's actually still willing to fight!_ She smirked and redoubled her efforts to break the warding spell. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noted Setsuna shooting her a questioning look, and gave her an imperceptible nod. The time Senshi glanced over her shoulder and broke contact with the barrier, taking her garnet rod to join the battle.

Cologne and Soap likewise noticed the weakening of the spell, and allowed themselves a short rest from attempting to adjust the energy flows in the area. _I just hope we can weaken it in time,_ Urd thought.

"We just lost stabilization over the eastern hemisphere!" Chrono's anxious voice broke the silence. Peorth swore under her breath. The power surge had been coming in from Jusenkyo valley. Peorth knew what was going on there at this very moment, and for once she prayed Urd would hurry up with her spell, and throw caution to the wind.

"The power surge is originating from Jusenkyo, in China," Chrono reported, and Peorth swallowed hard. "The three focus points?" She asked, knowing what the answer was already. "Two are gone. The ancestral crystal in Joketzusoku and the Citadel are gone. The Dragon Tap is the only one left."

Peorth swore. Jusenkyo was home to the largest concenration of wild magic in the three planes, dangerous enough to be kept under strict seal by order of Kami-sama himself. The chaos magic would be enough to completely destroy Yggdrasil, Asgard, and Nifleheim if it ran its course unchecked, bringing chaos to the order. That was why the three seals had been erected in ancient times, long before the first people came to those lands. Three artifacts which channeled the immense energy of the cursed springs and smoothed their chaotic flow, sealing away the power of the valley, preventing anyone from harnessing that energy, and cursing the springs in the process.

Because of the enormous quantities of energy involved, the release had been a spell on the pools of the valley, binding a soul to each spring. And the only things holding that power in check had been the three artifacts that, ironically, the three dominant factions in Jusenkyo Valley had choosen as the center of their culture. The giant obelisk in the center of the amazon village, which had been revered as the center of their mages' and healers' spiritual powers for generations, had been the focal point for the raw energy generated by the cursed springs. The giant hemisphere the Musk had choosen as their Citadal stronghold had been the next step, dissipating the energy that flowed over from Joketsuzoku, while the Dragon Tap at the center of Mount Phoenix served as the third focal point. These three artifacts had created a seal around the valley by drawing upon its very own energy. And now, two of them were gone.

Time was of the essence, if they wanted to stop a complete systems failure of Yggdrasil. Chrono spoke up again, drawing the goddess out of her reverie. "Western hemisphere stabilizers are fizzling in and out, we're going to loose...we just lost the western hemisphere," she announcing, glancing at her readout nervously. "Try to shut down all nonessential systems and re-rout the main applications through their backups! We need the stabilizers back, or the energy backlash is going to tear Yggdrasil to pieces!" Peorth barked her orders half-hartedly, wishing Urd were here. Her rival and friend was supposed to be the sysadmin and knew every corner of the system much better than Peorth.

"We've got a secondary power surge incoming!" A goddess yelled from across the room, and operators dove for cover as their consoles exploded into showers of sparks once more, and more terminals went dead. "Bug containment is failing in sections one through sixteen!"

Peorth steadied herself against the railing. "Report!"

"Bugs are infecting the main library, we're having increasing file corruption!"

"OS backup files are non-responsive! We lost the energy buffers!"

"Yggdrasil data uplinks just went dead, we're loosing our connection to Midgard!"

Peorth felt like laying down and sleeping, hoping it was all a bad dream. And it was suppose to be her day off, too. Chrono returned from the data storage room, a grim look on her face. "We can't back up anything, Peorth-sama. Random system errors keep crashing the library terminals, and the mainframe has been corrupted. Time Control has been overrun with bugs, and everything else is going to...well, hell."

Ryoko dodged a tentacle and slashed at it with his fan as he went, before launching himself back into the air, firing off vaccuum blades as he came down. The area around the martial artist was scattered with the remains of countless oni and youma as he continued to fight. Sparing a glance around the battlefield, he took quick note that Ryoga was out of the battle, injured as he was, Herb and Saffron looked extremely tired, and Kiima was out of arrows. Shampoo and Ukyo were currently covering the Senshi as they made their retreat with the help of Mint and Lime.

He himself felt the exhaustion as well, but he refused to pull back. Willing his muscles to keep moving, he kept cutting deep into the ranks of creatures arrayed before them, and, to his satisfaction, he could see those ranks thinning out. Ducking under a claw, he stabbed at the joint and flicked his wrist to open the fan, blowing the appendage off. He backed away for a moment to catch his breath, smirking as the youma surrounded him.

As they closed in, he closed his tired eyes and reigned in his battle-aura, letting it surround him in a soft silver glow. He waited, until the demons were nearly on top of him.

"_Soyokaze_!" The explosion of ki rocked the youma off their feet, sending them crashing backwards into each other as the shockwave slammed into them. Ryoko wiped the back of his hand across his forehead, and stood. That should have bought them some time.

Firkraag stood atop one of the hills that surrounded Joketsuzoku, smirking in satisfaction. They wouldn't be able to break his spell in time. He decided to add insult to injury, and activated the geas he had placed on a certain person, to make sure that meddling nuisance was gone.

Akane stared in shock as Mint hauled Ryoga out of the battlefield, and barely noticed Ukyo and Shampoo dragging her along. Ryoga had come so close to dying, and she realized she hadn't been of any help. She hadn't even managed to scratch one lousy youma, and he'd had to keep protecting her. She felt her rage boil, the familiar sensation of anger feeling comforting to her.

She was angry, at herself, at the youma, at Ryoga. This wasn't what was supposed to happen! _I worked so hard, tried to impove so badly...and this is the result! Nothing! I was better off before I started training!_ Her gaze fixated on a group of youma. _They'll pay._

Red started to cloud her vision as she began pounding on the nearest creature with a viciousness that made Ukyo and Shampoo stand back in shock. The only thing on her mind was to punish someone for her failure, for her suffering the sight of her injured friend. Familiar strength coursed through her as her rage lend her power.

She struck out at the nearest target she could find, and then the next, and the next. She didn't notice what she was hitting, and as long as she heard the satisfying crunch of bones, she didn't care. Somewhere along the line she had picked up a broken lance off the ground and was hacking at her targets with it, not caring she was spraying blood all over herself.

Ryoko lashed out with his fan, the resulting windblade cutting it neatly in half, and stood back, catching his breath. His eyes opened wide in shock when he felt a stabbing pain, and stared down in disbelief at the bloody metal tip that emerged from his torso. He reached around him and tried to grab a hold of the shaft, when it was roughly pulled out, and he whirled around to look at his assailant, his fan raised to strike a killing blow.

The attack died on his lips as he saw just who had attacked him. Her blood-red eyes spoke of blood thirst, and the feral snarl on her face widened as she smelled his blood. "Geas," he whispered, raising his fan to defend himself.

Urd felt a stabbing pain and broke her concentration to look over the battlefield, to find Ryoko frantically dodging Akane's attacks. She searched the battlefield for his sister, noting the time Senshi was already running towards them as fast as she could. Torn between concern and duty, the goddess frowned and continued to break apart the barrier, a single tear running down her face.

He could feel the blood seeping through his fingers, through the shirt he wore. His vision blurred, and he resorted to clumsily deflecting Akane's attacks, until he stumbled and crashed to the ground. Looking up, he stared at the girl's crimson, unseeing eyes, and closed his own. The dull thud of a body hitting the ground was impossibly loud to his ears, even as he surrendered to the darkness.


	17. Chapter Seventeen: The Spirits of Jusenk...

Chapter Seventeen: The Spirits of Jusenkyo

"_Hiryuu Shôten Ha_!" Cologne's voice rang out across the battlefield, only to be swallowed and lost in the howling winds that rushed around her, forming a whirwind of energy that catapulted the youma around her high into the air. The amazon matriarch barely had time to regain her breath as she dodged an oni's clawed strike, and retaliated with her staff, cracking its armor open like a nutshell. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Kiima diving down towards a part of the battlefield to her left, wondering what would cause the Phoenix woman to leave her post at her king's side.

She didn't dwell on it for long, as the creatures were closing their circle around her, forcing the amazon to retreat until she stood back to back with Herb. "It doesn't look good," the Musk prince noted. "My men are exhausted, and so are your warriors. The Phoenix alone cannot hold them back, and we-" he never finished the sentence as Kiima landed in front of them, hauling an unconscious Akane who was clutching a bloody broken lance to her chest. The look she shot the youngest Tendo daughter promised pain, and Cologne was sure that if they hadn't been in the middle of the battle, Akane would have been dead instead of merely knocked out.

"What happened?" She asked, fearing the worst. Her answer came when a blood-curling scream silenced everything. Time itself seemed to stand still at the pure anguish that carried along with the voice, and both friend and foe turned to look at the source of the voice. What Cologne saw made her freeze in her steps, and even Herb next to her stiffened in shock. Setsuna was kneeling on the ground, her fuku soaked with crimson blood, the blood of the figure lying prone on the ground next to her.

Her brother.

V----------------V

One glance at the murderous looking Kiima and her cargo, and the lump in Cologne's throat tightened. She **really** didn't like the implications of this.

Meiou Setsuna had held the post of Sailor Pluto, of the Guardian of Time, for longer than she could remember. She had lived through millennia of duty and loneliness, had suvived the Moon Kingdom and its destruction, had seen more atrocities than anyone should have to, and retained her sanity.

It wasn't the first time she'd seen a dead body, either.

But when she reached her brother's side, just as Kiima swooped in and hit Akane across the back of her head with the flat side of her sword, she was ready to loose her grip on reality. Her time key dropped from her lifeless hands, and she stumbled as she took steps faster than she should have, until she reached him.

The wound was blatantly obvious, the red stain on his dark green shirt giving it away, as did the blood pooling under him. She listened for a slow exhale, breathing, a heartbeat, anything to signify he was alive, knowing just as well that he wasn't. Setsuna clenched her hands into fists so hard that droplets of her blood dripped to the ground, mixing with her brother's, as she fought for control over her emotions. This was not the place for grief, or mourning.

This wasn't the right time. She shut her eyes tightly, as if to hold in the tears that threatened to spill, her breathing ragged. When his left hand twitched around the fan he still held, she held her breath, hoping that by some miracle he would recover, let her know he was all right. But then his grip slackened, and the fan dropped to the ground.

And Setsuna screamed.

V----------------V

The first to move was Ukyo; the okonomiyaki chef leapt forward and deflected a blow that would have sent Setsuna to accompany her brother, and took a ready stance in front of them. "Get outta here," she hissed as she eyed the youma before her warily. She understood the woman's loss, but grieving here, in the middle of a group of youma, was impossible and suicide.

"No." Ukyo glanced over her shoulder at the voice, a shiver running down her spine at the icyness it conveyed.

V----------------V

Setsuna looked up through tear-stained eyes and watched passively as Ukyo shielded her from the creatures around them. Her eyes flashed in anger as she realized these were the creatures responsible for this mess, servants of the evil incarnate. She shoved her emotions back into a tiny box in the back of her mind and slammed it shut. Instinctively, her hand found the fan her brother had released, and she stood, banishing the garnet rod into etherspace.

She heard Ukyo order her to leave, and turned around, turning her burning red eyes on the youma before her. "No," she whispered, surprising herself with the amount of venom her voice contained. Dispelling her Senshi garb, she slid open the fan and took a ready stance, letting the memories from long ago guide her movements. "Ukyo, please take my brother to Urd and Cologne. I'll take care of these."

Without waiting for a reply, she launched herself past the stunned chef, and began to viciously lay into the ranks of oni and youma. "_Shinkuu-Ken_!" Hundreds of vaccuum blades pelted her opponents, but she didn't care, leaping over the dissolving corpses of the defeated, only to continue her relentless attack. She ducked under a youma's strike, rolled and came up behind it, kicking out and through its armor plating. A look of disgust on her face, she wrenched her leg free and disintegrated it with a ki blast.

A ringing parry flowed into a slash with the fan, which she followed with a stab as she snapped it closed. She was a whirlwind tearing through the enemy's ranks, and she let her hatred and anger fuel her as she continued to tear into the demons before her. The anger returned, coupled with a pain that hurt too much to describe. The emerald-haired woman snarled viciously as the demons fell before her, her mind focused only on the pain she felt. _How could he...leave me alone! How dare that bastard do this to us!_ She felt rage, burning hatred directed at Firkraag, Akane, her brother. The world. Firkraag had used them, had thrown them into this position, he was the one responsible for the death around them, and she hated him for it. Akane had let herself be put under a spell, had let her own anger consume herself, and she despised the girl for that.

Her brother had let himself die. He had left her alone, left her when she needed him most, in her current despair. He had been the one to coax her into fighting for their future, he had proven to her that her life's work could not be destroyed by anyone but herself. She cursed him for hurting her like this. _But if I hate him, why does it hurt so much?_ _Why does it hurt?_

"_Fukyuu Hôkô Kijin-Ha_!" The ground around her exploded as the ki she had channeled into the soil discharged, erupting in a massive parody of a volcano, spewing forth superheated earth and rock. The aftermath of the attack left her as emotionally drained as she was physically, and Setsuna was only half aware of being dragged off the battlefield, before she lost consciousness.

V----------------V

Herb, Mint, and Lime moved closer together as the youma closed in with them. On the other side, Cologne and Kiima were fighting a loosing battle, the two women attempting to keep the oni from hitting the men's exposed backs. Between them lay uncounted wounded and dying, the remains of the small army they had amassed and had put their hopes in.

They had failed.

Urd was still trying to break the barrier that held Ranma, Ryoga and Setsuna were out of the fight, and the rest of them were tired. Saffron had stopped throwing fireballs and joined Herb as he wielded the Gekkaja like the naginata it was. Their backs bumped together, and Herb knew, without having to look behind him, that there would be no more falling back. _Hm...today seems like a good day to die._

Mint collapsed next to him, the exhaustion and his wounds finally taking their toll. Lime pulled him back with him, and Herb nodded at those two. So, this was how it was going to end.

V----------------V

Urd felt a power surge from inside the barrier, and gaped, her eyes opening wide in astonishment at a feat that should have been impossible. The clouds parted over them, and a brilliant silver bolt of energy flashed down, the light flaring up around the barrier as it held for a moment, before refracting the beam into hundreds of fragments, which curved around and entered the cursed pools of Jusenkyo.

_Energy feedback,_ she thought as she shielded her eyes. The youma shied back from the silver lightning, as if afraid to touch it for its divine origin, then reared, afraid of the things that were approaching fast. The ground shook, and everyone could feel a stampede coming, closing in quickly as it came over the hills that separated Joketsuzoku from Jusenkyo.

The sight that presented itself to the defenders was both magnificent and horrifc to behold, hundreds upon thousands of ghastly figures, each glowing with an ethereal silver aura, each noncorporeal as a ghost, their skins flayed and torn, shrunk and violated, marched their way towards Joketsuzoku, wordless screams of pain and anger echoing through the air as Jusenkyo protested the violation of its souls.

They seemed to be heralds of the coming apocalypse, called forth by the divine light above, called to action by the evil that had been committed in the area, called to raze the very lands they stood upon and return all to dust. Breathing fire and smoke, surrounded by an aura of anger and revenge, every single of the apparitions, from the largest dragon hovering high above, to the humanoid forms walking among the spirits, to the tiniest of animals seemed ready to bring death upon them.

When Ragnarok had been cast, and had drawn upon the magic of Jusenkyo to fuel itself, the spirits of the pools had lost the ties that bound them to the mortal world, doomed to forever hover in limbo between life and death. When Yggdrasil had shut down, and the backlash of the spell hit the pools, the spirits tore free, no longer bound to the mortal or immortal plane by the World Tree. They drew upon the raw magic that radiated from the energy feedback that ran through Yggdrasil, sustaining their corporeal forms.

Now, they were returning, intent on avenging the violation and damnation of their souls.

V----------------V

The apparitions stampeded through the youma, tearing through their ranks without hesitation, disintegrating the demonic creatures upon touch. And then they were upon the defenders. Usagi, Makoto, Minako, and Haruka found themselves in a semi-circle around Urd and the barrier that held Ranma. For once, Usagi moved without tripping, without stumbling, as they held heir ground against the stampede, their fiery auras so intense they could feel the lingering heat in the air, their strides so powerful they shook the earth.

They cast their spells deep into the ranks of the spirits, most missing wide, but the few that hit dissipated into thin air, released from their suffering.

V----------------V

Cologne found her staff completely ineffective against the new threat that now arose. The elder amazon had seen many things in her long life, but never once had the spirits of the cursed valley of Jusenkyo come to life. And never had she stood in the path of their wrath. Suddenly without means of attacking or defending herself, the ancient woman resorted to swiftly dodging the approaching spirits, firing off ki blasts as she took aim.

V----------------V

Ukyo and Shampoo stood helplessly, frantically dodging the apparitions as they plowed through them, neither of them able to throw a ki blast. Both girls had stood in amazed shock when the pools had come to life to claim revenge for their souls, and had been nearly too late to dodge them. Shampoo **had** been too late, only to be pushed out of the way by Lime. The Musk had received a long, charred gash across his back where the aura of a panda apparition had touched him.

V----------------V

Akane woke up, just in time to dive aside as a ghastly horse stampeded through the area she had vacated a moment before. Her eyes wide, the younges Tendo daughter stared around her in shock, her gaze slowly wandering down to her hands, and the bloody lance she still held on to. The coppery liquid hadn't dried yet, and her hand came away red, the sticky fluid giving off a slightly metallic smell, and she fought the urge to retch as she dodged another apparition. "How..." she whispered, looking across the field, trying to remember the last few minutes before she lost consciousness.

"Oh god..." the memories hit her, and she cringed at them, as they assaulted her senses. Akane curled up into a ball near the barrier and could only stare at her bloody hands.

V----------------V

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end an instant before the darkness around him lit up in a bright silver light, and Ranma could feel the energy flowing around him, sustaining his aura and feeding him strength. He could almost see the barrier around him waver and flicker out, and was about to push his way through when a sense of dread rose within him.

He shuddered at the sudden cold that befell him despite his aura, and felt the touch of death upon him; it was gone so quickly he didn't know if he had imagined it or not. Still, he could fee the danger outside, and it made him redouble his efforts to weaken the barrier. The barrier was weakening faster now, almost as if something was drawing power off of it.

V----------------V

"_Moon Spiral Heart Attack_!" The giant pink heart crashed into three of the oncoming spirits, dispelling them easily. Beside her, Makoto caught Minako as the blonde recovered from a _Crescent Beam Shower_, the two girls slowly pulling back and dodging more as they tired. Usagi ducked under the wings of a glowing eagle, and prepared to fire off her attack once more, when someone shouted her name. "Usagi!"

Turning around, she caught a glimpse of black lighting as it traversed the distance, passing her by several feet, and surrounding a dozen apparitions. "_Death Reborn Revolution_!" Hotaru cried again, as she aimed the Silence Glaive. A dull feeling of dread built in Usagi's stomach, and when she turned back around, she swallowed hard, before screaming, "No! Hotaru, stop!"

The black lightning dissipated, and the auras of the apparitions caught in the blast had turned an ominous black.

V----------------V

Firkraag smirked as he watched the spirits and youma ravage the area from high above, but when he felt the power of his spell decrease, he swore. There was nothing he could do, the spirits were drawing the energy of Jusenkyo into themselves, using it to anchor themselves to this plane as they continued their murderous rampage.

Then he smirked. If the spirits were free to roam, Yggdrasil had shut down. "The system is down," Lenneth confirmed from next to him. He nodded and smiled at her. "Finish off whoever is left here, and join me." The goddess bowed and teleported away. He savored the desperation and fear that was radiating off that one girl and her companions for a few moments more, before banishing the delicious feeling of her despair from his mind.

The demon's gaze wandered to Jusendo. With a cruel grin, he headed over. _Now the only thing left that keeps the wild magic here under control is the Dragon Tap. Time for it to go down._


	18. Chapter Eighteen: The Dragon Tap

Author's Note: So here it is. The final chapter. There's going to be an epilogue, cause I want to tie up some loose ends. I hope you enjoy it. I know I enjoyed writing it!

Chapter Eighteen: The Dragon Tap

Urd held on to the remains of her spell through the chaos around her, inwardly flinching each time one of the apparitions of the pools of Jusenkyo came too close for comfort. The goddess could feel the power of the barrier weakening, and smirked inwardly when it crumbled to near nothingness.

All around them, spirits and youma were locked in mortal combat, stampeding around Joketsuzoku, ravaging what was left of the once impressive village. Buildings were falling all around them, crashing to the ground as youma slammed into them, walls were incinerated as they were hit by stray energy blasts, and the ground was torn up, the fading corpses of youma littering the battlefield.

Ranma continued to pour more energy into his aura, letting it continue to flare brightly in the darkness surrounding him. Then, all of a sudden, the blackness was gone, replaced by blinding sunlight as the reddish barrier that had held him captive winked out of existence. His aura continued to burn brightly, and he drew on the chi and wild magic that permeated the air around him.

His senses came back to life, and his eyes snapped open as soon as the sound of combat reached his ears.

V--------------------V

Urd allowed herself a satisfied smirk as the barrier went down, and sank to the floor, wiping the sweat off her forehead. Ranma blinked once and looked around him, assessing the situation. "What the hell...?" The goddess grinned at the boy's incredulous tone. "Long story," she told him. "We're outnumbered, but it looks like Firkraag pissed off the spirits, too." She snorted. "Just sit this one out."

Ranma nodded in acknowledgement as he glanced around the small circle the few remaining Musk and Phoenix were holding. Urd knew what it meant. The seal on Jusenkyo was broken, two of the three focal points destroyed. Much of the raw energy of the valley would now be free to be used, much like the spirits were using it now to sustain themselves. Even as the warriors around them tightened the circle, giving the spirits more room as they warred with he demonic creatures around them, she could feel the energy in the air, as it took a direction and flowed to its new focus.

"Can you feel that?" She glanced up at the pig-tailed martial artist, the unspoken question in her eyes. "Can you feel that?" he repeated. "It's like...the air's thick, somehow. Charged. And it's going somewhere." She nodded at his crude explanation. "Yes. Jusenkyo has lost the seal that contained its energy, and now it's dissipating into the air. Everyone with a bit of aptitude for energy manipulation can use it now." She left unspoken the fact that both of them knew one person who was drawing all that energy towards himself at this very moment.

Then, as quickly as the nightmare had begun, it was over. The shimmering apparitions stilled, and the only thing moving was the dust that settled from the battle, and the fumes left behind by the disintegrating remains of the youma. What was left of the village went deathly quiet in a hearbeat, and the remaining warriors glanced around them nervously, as if expecting the spirits to turn upon them, as well.

But the surprise attack never came. One by one the spirits were engulfed in silver flames, burning up and leaving no trace behind as the souls that had been bound by the magic of Jusenkyo exhausted their energy and burned out, passing on to their eternal rest. A silvery cloud collected above their heads, and as the spirits faded from the Earth, their souls floated up into it, joining their companions.

Those who were left watched the spectacle in awe, unmoving until the last of the souls had passed on. It was then that Ranma checked the battlefield for his friends. He could see Ryoga, Mousse, and Shampoo sitting with Cologne and Soap, as the elders tended to their wounds. Ukyo was sitting a little off, bandaging a wounded Mint, while Lime watched on, shifting on his feet. Herb and Saffron were coming his way, Kiima and a depressive Akane in tow.

The Senshi were clustered around someone, and Urd stood up and joined them. Ranma had a gut feeling as to who it was, but didn't really want to deal with that now, and, hoping he was wrong, turned his attention to the two rulers. "Saotome," Herb began, before shuffling uncomfortably. The Musk prince hated being the bearer of bad news. Uncharacteristically, he glanced over at Saffron to see if the Phoenix had words to express what they had come to say, shoving his pride aside and admitting they were more alike than he had believed possible.

The Phoenix god shook his head and, in turn, glanced at Kiima and Akane. The girl had her eyes downcast, staring at the ground with dull, lifeless eyes, dead to the world. "A-Akane?" Ranma was by her side in an instant, praying she wasn't hurt. "What happened?" he looked up, only now taking note Kiima was standing next to the Tendo girl, a disgusted look on her face. "Kiima? What's going on?"

"R-Ranma..." Akane's voice was a mere whisper, and the pig-tailed martial artist could hear the raw pain and regret in her voice, as well as something that almost bordered on...self-loathing? She kept glancing over at where the Senshi had formed a protective circle around something, and Ranma caught flashes of Urd's silver and Setsuna's emerald hair between them. Their despair lingered in their auras, and he could feel the ki radiating off of the two women.

Ranma swallowed hard. "Did...he's...Ryoko?" He hoped his instincts would be proven false, but Kiima nodded. "This...bitch backstabbed him." She didn't say more, silenced by a stern glare from her lord. Ranma's gaze wandered from the group of girls to Akane and back. He knew this wasn't what the girl had wanted, knew that it had most likely been a geas, much like Ryoga, that had controlled her actions. And he couldn't find it in himself to hate her. He had gone through it before, he knew she would be tormenting herself more than anyone else ever could.

A small part of him felt sympathy for the girl. That feeling of loss of control, and self-loathing was not something anyone should ever have to encounter. He himself still suffered nightmares about the day he had first taken a life, and he knew they would come to haunt her, as well. He also knew she would grow stronger because of it; he knew she would take her training seriously from now on, working to prevent something like this from ever happening again.

He slowly pulled Akane into a comforting hug. They remained like this for a moment, before a strong gust of wind kicked up dust once more, and he looked up to see a figure hovering in the air. "So you survived, mortal. It seems I have to finish you myself." Ranma stared at the fallen goddess, before letting go of Akane and placing her in Kiima's hands. "Take her over to Ryoga and the others," he told the Phoenix woman. She nodded curtly in reply, and spread her wings.

"So it is you again. Where's Firkraag?" Ranma's eyes narrowed. "He is off to finish what we started here. He's at the Dragon Tap," Lenneth told him, amusement evident in her smirk. "Looks like that foolish mortal wasn't so lucky this time," she added, with a glance towards the group of Senshi. Ranma's breath caught. If the demon was headed for Jusendo...

A hand on his shoulder made the pig-tailed martial artist look up into Herb's eyes. "Go, Saotome. Run like the wind, and pray our families are safe." The Musk prince could see the anxiety in the boy's eyes, and knew his reflected that very same fear. "But you two are in no condition to take her on. I have to-" Saffron cut off Ranma and pointed over his shoulder. "We won't have to. They will."

Ranma turned around and stared as Urd and Setsuna marched across the field, murder in their eyes. He shuddered inwardly, the two pairs of crimson and emeral eyes were reflecting the very same torrent of emotion. Loss, anger, grief, and a determination to make whoever was responsible pay. The aura of the two women was nearly visible, and Ranma could feel the heat of their broiling emotions radiate off them.

They spared a glance at him, and nodded in unison, telling him without words that they would take care of this.

And Ranma turned and ran.

V--------------------V

Urd slowly walked over to the Senshi, knowing what she would find. The girls parted before her, even as the goddess showed no trace of emotion. And she shouldn't, right? After all, she had seen much death in her long life as the eldest of the Norns. But when she saw Setsuna cradling her brother's body in her lap, her facade crumbled, and tears began streaking down her face.

Kneeling next to the time Senshi, Urd gently laid a hand on her shoulder, and Setsuna looked up. Her dark red eyes were swollen from the crying she had been doing, and she was still clutching Ryoko's fan. Urd stared into her eyes for a moment, holding her gaze, before looking down. The goddess felt a slight tug on her robes, and looked down to see Setsuna hanging on to her in a death grip. "Why?" The Senshi managed to choke out between sobs.

"I don't know...I don't know." And she didn't. And for the first time in millennia, Urd cursed herself. _For all the power I have, for whatever it's worth being a goddess...for all my skill, all my magic, all my knowledge...I cannot save a single life. Damn it! Why? Why didn't I see this coming?_ Urd blinked back the tears that were spilling out of her eyes, focusing on comforting the crying woman in her arms. She would have time to grieve herself later. _Chikuso! What good is it being a goddess if I can't save a single, goddamn life!_

She fought to keep calm, to keep her own feelings under control, but found she couldn't. It hurt too much to keep bottled up, and when Setsuna raised her head again to look into her green eyes, she knew the time Senshi had seen right through her act. "You know...it's okay to let go once in a while," she whispered, before breaking out into tears again. Urd smiled despite herself, and let go of the hold she had over her tears.

She reached out even as they spilled from her eyes, and cast a minor spell on the lifeless body they held between them. The blood faded, the clothes mended, and the muscles relaxed. She smiled slightly as his face assumed a content expression, far different from the shock and surprise he had died with.

A gust of wind caught both women's attention, making them open their eyes and look up into the sky. Urd stood abrupty, leaving a confused Setsuna behind as they stared at the levitating woman. The goddess pushed her way through the remaining Senshi, followed by Setsuna, as she recognized Lenneth. "Looks like the foolish mortal wasn't so lucky this time," they heard her say, and Urd felt her anger resurface, knowing the Senshi next to her felt exactly the same.

The fallen goddess turned and smirked at them, and Urd felt a burning hatred towards the woman who could smile at the carnage surrounding them. She glanced at Ranma, catching the urgency in his eyes, and nodded, knowing that whereever he would be off to, was important enough to agitate him, Herb, and Saffron. She nodded, and he acknowledged it with a nod of his own, before sprinting off in the direction of Jusendo, running faster than she'd ever seen him run.

Setsuna cracked her knuckles as she glared at the fallen goddess, a dangerous glint in her eyes. Next to her, Urd took a deep breath and began levitating, charging up her spells. Lenneth smirked and removed her earring, transforming it into her battle staff. There would be no limiters in this fight, no backup, and no mercy. All three fighters were encased in their own aura as they began to draw upon the raw energy permeating the air around them.

V--------------------V

Saotome Nodoka finished bandaging the gash on one of the wounded Musk's arms, receiving a grateful nod, and turned to the next patient. Jusendo was nearly cavernously empty now, the majority of the people having left to attack the village. The only ones that were left now, were the wounded and the healers. The Saotome matriarch smiled as she glanced at the two elder Tendo sisters as they, too tended to the wounded, moving among the bleeding and unconscious warriors with ease. And while she herself could have fought, she had never really felt at ease with combat.

A tremendous crash made them look up, and a Phoenix guard came rushing into the room. "Someone's broken through the gates!" The guard didn't get much further than that, before the ceiling shook and debris started raining upon them. "Nabiki! Kasumi! Let's move the wounded outside! We've got to get them out of here before the ceiling collapses!" She issued commands smoothly as they evacuated the cavern. She shot one last glance into the room, making sure no one had been left behind, before turning around and heading outside. Moments later, the mountain shook again and she could hear the falling rubble behind the massive doors.

They had moved to the top of Jusendo, to the open area at the mountaintop, and Nodoka took a moment to look at the craters that were still left behind from when her son had fought Saffron seemingly so long ago. She was about to head over to join the Tendo sisters and help them with the wounded, when her danger sense went off, and she turned around, leaping backwards.

A small crater had formed in the spot she had been in a moment ago, caused by an energy blast. The origin of the blast stepped through the cloud of dust. "Heh. Not bad, woman, not bad." Nodoka glanced back at the injured behind her, then looked at the figure before her. The man was tall, slender, with raven hair, smirked, his aristocratic features exuding arrogance. She shifted her stance, and her hands went to the katana at her side.

V--------------------V

Lenneth charged with a yell, swinging her staff sideways. Setsuna ducked under the swing, retaliating with a leg sweep her opponent jumped over, and snapped off a side kick that caught the fallen goddess square in he chest, tossing her back. Urd let loose with a hailstorm of force bolts, but Lenneth brought up her staff and conjured up a barrier, the lighting projectiles dispelling against it harmlessly. The fallen goddess chuckled and charged, her staff whistling around her as she swung it in a vicious arc aimed at Setsuna's throat.

The time Senshi leaned back her head, the razor-sharp tip of the the staff flashing past her trachea by a mere half inch, before she lunged forward leading with an elbow strike that forced Lenneth to bring the lower end of her staff around in a parry. Setsuna smirked at the opening that presented and slammed a palmstrike into the goddess's chin, following it up with a backfist that spun her around, and finished with a snap-kick that sent Lenneth reeling back.

She whirled her staff around, whipping it into the air and deflecting a forcebolt back at Urd, and, taking a runnin start, leapt high into the air to levitate outside the Senshi's range. Narrowing her eyes, Urd summoned World of Elegance, only to be dodge to the side, narrowly missing a flame blast of her ex-colleague. The pair dodged around Lenneth who hovered in mid-air, throwing their energy blasts at her, only to have their target dodge them. With a yell, Lenneth spun around, aiming her staff at Setsuna, and took off, dashing downwards in a flash.

The emerald-haired woman's eyes widened in surprise, and turned to the side. The blade of the staff pierced through her left arm and shoulder blade, and she let out a scream of pain as Lenneth ripped it out forcefully. The goddess smirked, casually reaching back with her staff and deflecting a forcebolt, before turning her attention on her downed opponent again. "So, as weak as your brother, I see," she smirked. "Don't worry, I'll put you out of your misery." Raising her staff high above her head, she flipped it in her grasp and let the bladed tip rest against Setsuna's throat.

Urd held her breath, mentally cursing herself for letting themselves be caught in a trick like this. She hovered, unsure of what to do, World of Elegance next to her. Then Lenneth moved, retracting the staff and bringing it sideways in a slashing arc that would severe the Senshi's head from her body.

V--------------------V

Nodoka held the man's gaze as they stood facing off, waiting for the other to make the first move. The silence was broken when he grinned an stepped forward. "Always so serious. Now, why don't you make it easy for the both of us and step aside? I'll make your death quick then." The woman smirked, her eyes never leaving the demon's.

"_Chikayori te Kiru Nari_," she whispered as she dashed forward, blurring with the motion. She stood in the same stance she had started in, her back turned towards the demon, who had barely had time to react to the slash few had been able to see. He smirked and ran his hand acros he small red line that ran across his cheek. "Interesting." It was his turn to charge, forcing Nodoka to duck and leap back as one of his punches hit the ground, exploding it in a small crater upon impact. She began to circle him even as his amusement grew. When he choose to attack, leading with a straight punch, the auburn-haired woman reared back with her sheathed blade, waiting for the moment to strike. Jabbing it forward, she turned around as Firkraag staggered back, drawing the blade in one smooth motion.

The demon's eyes flashed, and he held out a hand, blocking the blade with it. The swordswoman gasped in shock, pulling back her sword and resheathing it. Firkraag looked smug as he chuckled. "I'm not some mortal to be cut with a dull blade like yours, woman." His eyes flashed blood red for a moment, before returning to their piercing blue hue. "Now, let's end this." He approached her almost casually, but the speed at which he launched his strikes amazed the woman, even as she barely blocked them, feeling and hearing her blade's sheath crack with the repeated impacts.

Making her choice, she snatched the sheathed sword away from its blocking position, spinning with the blow as the air exploded out of her lungs and the pain shot through her leg where his kick haad struck her. "_I o Awasu Nari_," she grabbed his arm with a yell and flung him over her shoulder, before spinning around and lashing out with her blade. "_Nukaba Kiru Nari_!" The blade embedded itself deep into the demon's skin, and she could see traces of dark blood flowing across the blade, before completing her turn and striking out with her sheath. "_Nukazuba Kiranu Nari_."

Halfway through his flight, Firkraag opened his eyes, and Nodoka could feel the power surrounding them, as he drew it towards himself. A harsh crack filled the air, and Nodoka stood in silent shock for a moment as the broken splinters of her family blade's sheath sailed through the air. _That sheath...was cut from the branches of a sacred tree..._ Nodoka snapped back to reality as a hard punch tossed her across the ground. The Saotome matriarch winced in pain as it became difficult to breathe. Supporting herself on her family blade, she stood shakily, moving into a guard position.

V--------------------V

The sound of a blade scraping across dirt seemed impossibly loud to Urd's ears as the goddess lunged forward, reaching for her own earring, hoping to block the strike. The sound of metal striking metal stopped her in her tracks, as Setuna slowly forced Lenneth's staff back with her brother's fan in her right hand. The Senshi slowly dragged the fan across the ground from where she had jammed it into the dirt to block the strike, pushing back the staff's blade.

"I...don't die...that easily," she snarled as she raised to her knees, flicking the staff to the side and lunging forward, bringing the fan back around in a backhand strike. Letting it drop open, Setsuna slashed at her opponent's throat. Lenneth brought her staff up to block the strike, but the resulting windblade parted around it, taking a visible red tinge as it kicked up dirt where it hit the ground. "Still got some fight in you, eh?" Lenneth smirked and charged forward, ducking under Setsuna's sluggish punch, before slamming her staff into the Senshi's left arm.

Crying out in pain, Setsuna fell back, mounting a sluggish defense with her fan as she tried to recover her breath. Lenneth stabbed forward, causing her to intercept the strike with a ringing parry. The Senshi realized her mistake quickly, her eyes flashing wide open in shock as Lenneth spun the staff around her arm, forcing her to release her hold on it. Before the fallen goddess could bring her staff around for another strike, a second staff intercepted it with a metallic ring.

Glancing over her shoulder, Lenneth took note of a frowning Urd as the goddess took a defensive stance before the downed Senshi. Setsuna took deep, shuddering breath as she fought to think past the mind-numbing pain that emitted from her injured arm, and caught the worried glance of the remaining Senshi. She shook her head. This was her fight.

V--------------------V

Once again, Nodoka backed off as she parried one of her opponent's swings with her blade. Fear was beginning to invade her thoughts as she noticed the blade of her sword chipping and hissing as it burned away a little bit a time each time she touched the demon, his aura growing more powerful as the battle raged on, already intense enough to melt even a blessed blade.

She gave a sharp glance as her back hit something solid hard, and she emitted a low growl as she realized she was backed against a support pillar. Glacing up she took in the repaired Dragon Tap rising above her head. Blinking back in the sunlight, she raised her sword, preparing to intercept the next attack. It never came. Instead, she found herself staring mesmerizd at a swirling, dancing wave of blood red energy as it sped towards her.

Firkraag chuckled. _Two birds with one stone. The Dragon Tap won't survive this blast._

V--------------------V

Urd leaned to the side, letting Lenneth's strike bypass her, before slamming the butt of her staff on top of her opponent's, jamming it into the ground. "You know, I've been wanting to do this ever since you took over Bell's temple," Urd hissed as she reared back and struck the fallen goddess with a mighty right cross. The woman fell back, the staff falling from her numbed hands, and Urd pulled back.

Lenneth grinned. "So you do have some backbone. And here I thought all that office work had made you soft." Lunging forward, she rolled under a horizontal strike and retrieved her staff, launching it forward. Urd recovered from her miss, only to cry out as Lenneth's bladed staff slashed into her side. The silver-haired woman clutched her bleeding side as Lenneth withdrew the staff. "Enjoy the last few moments on this plane, Urd." With those words, she turned an almost playful smile at Setsuna, who had managed to raise to her feet, albeit shakily.

"I'll just send you to your brother first," the goddess chuckled as she strolled over. When she was just out of arm's reach, she took up her staff, taking aim. "Nobility is overrated," she snorted before stabbing forward.

V--------------------V

Nodoka continued to stare into the wave of red that threatened to engulf her, hefting her sword defiantly in a last desperate act of defense. It wasn't necessary. A red blur flashed into view before her, and the blast parted easily around his crossed arms, flowing around the shimmering golden barrier that had appeared out of thin air. When it had subsided, Nodoka allowed herself a tired sigh and sank to the ground, the katana falling from her slack grasp.

"You okay, Mom?" Ranma asked, glancing over his shoulder. She managed to give him a reassuring smile, before bending over in a wracking cough. Blood dripped to the ground from her lips, and her son was at her side in an instant. Hearing her jagged breathing, he knew she had a punctured lung. _Mom...you got hurt again. I'm sorry I'm so late...I'm sorry._ Picking her up, he leapt over to Kasumi and gently deposited her in the eldest Tendo daughter's care, before turning his attention on Firkraag.

"You hurt my mother. You're the cause for all this. All the death around us. You tried to kill my family. Tell me one goddamn reason why I shouldn't tear you apart where you stand!" Anger sprang up in the pig-tailed martial artist's mind, along with regret and fear for his family and friends. _This has gone so far already. It's time to stop this nightmare._ He followed the demon's glance to the top of the Dragon Tap. _He's going down. If it's the last thing I do._

"You couldn't defeat me the last time," Firkraag chuckled. "Now Hild's busy trying to figure out a way to keep Nifleheim from falling apart from power backlash, and all your friends in Joketsuzoku should be dead by now. I'll enjoy killing you, since you caused me so much trouble already." His gaze wandered to Kasumi and Nodoka. "I'll leave you barely alive so you can watch as I kill the ones you love, and then finish you off. Won't that be nice? You'll have a front row seat at the apocalypse!"

Ranma snorted. "And why are you telling me all this?" "Just because I can. You alone are not powerful enough to stop me," the demon replied, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Now...prepare yourself!"

V--------------------V

Blood sprayed through the air as the staff's razor tip pierced through the skin, tearing the flesh with a sickening sound. Bones could be heard cracking from the strike, and the air was thick with the smell of death. Lenneth broke the silence with a ragged gasp as she stared down at the fan protruding from her chest, where her heart was. "Only...second class, after all..." she whispered as her eyes glazed over and she collapsed to the ground.

Urd slowly made her way over to Setsuna, who was still standing in the very same spot, both her hands still extended, her right, with which she had stabbed her brother's fan through her opponent's chest, and her left, which she had used to block the staff, the tip still embedded in her palm and exiting at the back of hand where the staff had impaled her hand.

The Senshi barely noticed when Urd pulled out the blade, tossing the staff on the ground, only looking up when the goddess called her name. "Setsuna. C'mon, we gotta get your wounds looked after," Urd noted, a tired tone lacing her voice as she glanced meaningfully at Setsuna's bleeding hand and arm.

And they let themselves be led away from the field of battle by their friends.

V--------------------V

Ranma ducked under a straight punch, dropping on his back and extending a leg, catapulting Firkraag off into the sky. Still on his back on the ground, the pig-tailed boy cupped his hands and gathered his ki. "_Môkô Takabishâ_!" The blue ki-blast roared into the sky, impacting with the demon, who crashed down to the ground in a crater. Before the dust could settle, Ranma felt a fist impact with his stomach and reflexively brought his wrist down in a parry to lessen the blow.

The two combatants separated, eyeing each other warily. Ranma could feel the residual energy from the blast saturating the air, and smirked. Closing in, he lead his opponent into a familiar dance as he dodged Firkraag's attacks, tightening his spiral steps. The demon realized what he was doing and smirked, backing off and launching himself forward in a flying kick that crushed the ground where Ranma had been. "_Hiryuu Shôten Ha_!" The demon's eyes widened as the tornado exploded to life around them, carrying Ranma high into the air.

"So, taken by your own attack. Desperate fool," he chuckled, aiming an energy blast at the receding figure in the sky. Before he could fire it off, however, a second cry pierced the air. "Revised! _Hiryuu Kourindan_!" A massive gust of hot air swept over him, followed by a whirling blast of energy as Ranma descended. Landing lightly on his feet, the pig-tailed martial artist eyed the crater his blast had created, only to find the demon unharmed.

Firkraag stood, extending his arms at his sides, his aura blasting into life, a writhing, glowing cocoon of red that grew in size and intensity as Ranma felt the energy in the air flowing towards the demon. When Firkraag reopened his eyes, the Saotome boy nearly flinched at the blood-red gaze that met his own. The demon raised his hand, and Ranma leapt away as the blast smashed into the ground. As he continued to dodge the blasts, the pig-tailed martial artist could feel the power radiating off his opponent.

_This ain't good. I gotta stop him from throwing ki-blasts everywhere. They're gonna hit-_ his thought was interrupted when multiple screams of pain tore through the air, and he glanced over to see one of the stray attacks hit a cluster of wounded amazons. The momentary distraction proved enough to make him a target, and Ranma slammed into the support pillar of the Dragon Tap hard. The muscles in his back protested as he rose to his feet again.

Firkraag was watching him dispassionately, as his burning red aura condensed into a solid sphere in this hands. _Heh. An eye for an eye,_ Ranma mused as he braced his back against the stone pillar. Cupping his hands in front of him, he took a deep breath, and reached within him for the reservoir of ki he knew was there. Drawing up every last ounce of it, he let his own aura flare into existence, the golden flame burning sky-high around him. When he had drawn as much as he could, he began to take in the energy surrounding him, the wild magic released by Jusenkyo, the residual chi from his _Hiryuu Shôten Ha_, the energy of the Dragon Tap itself.

The human and the demon released their attacks at the same instant, as if on some unspoken command. "_Fire Strike_!" "_Ten Môkô Takabishâ_!" The two beams of light, one a deep crimson, the other one pure gold, streaked towards each other, ripping through the air as shockwaves followed in their wake. The ground tore up under the force of the blasts, disintegrating under the intense heat.

Then they met in a brilliant flash of light, detonating with a thunderous roar that shook the Jusendo to its very foundation.

When the light faded, Ranma heaved in exhaustion, sweat running down his face in rivulets that splashed onto the ground. The demon opposite him smirked, retracting his extended arms, and closed in with the pig-tailed martial artist. "You look tired, want me to put you to sleep?" Ranma ducked under a punch, dropping to the ground and kicking out sideways, knocking Firkraag off balance. The demon twisted as he fell, aiming a palm-strike that could crush concrete at the martial artist's throat.

Ranma's hands found purchase on the hilt of his sword, and he drew the reversed blade, forcing the flat side of the sword against his opponent's fist. Energy crackled through the air as the demon's aura extended, flashing around the sword as it withstood the onslaught of spiritual power. Ranma kicked his opponent off him, sending Firkraag crashing to the ground a good five meters away.

The sakabato hissed in his hands as blue lightning danced across the blade, making the silver metal glow in an eerie light. Firkraag stood once more, charging wordlessly. The pig-tailed boy dodged sideways, deflecting a crushing blow with his sword, letting the momentum carry it around him as he twisted around the demon, slamming the blunt end of the blade into his side. "_Ryu Kan Sen_!" The force of the blow was enough to force Firkraag back for a moment, and Ranma smirked at him.

"That sword of yours, boy...what is it? I cannot destroy it as easily as your mother's." The pig-tailed boy glanced over at where the discarded Saotome family katana lay, the blade chipped and worn, twisted and half-melted. "It's not a normal sword, not even a blessed one could withstand my attacks."

Ranma's reply was a savage yell as he rushed forward, the sword held low at his side. As he came withing striking distance, the blade flashed forward, aimed at the demon's throat; Firkraag twisted away from the strike, avoiding the cut. Jamming his leading foot into the ground hard enough to shatter the stone they were standing on, Ranma reversed the direction of his swing, wrenching the sakabato around at the demon, feeling the sharp tip of the blade dragging across the demon's skin.

His right hand still on the hilt of his sword, Ranma reached for his belt, slipping the sheath out into a reverse-grip, slamming it full force into Firkraag's chin. Coming to rest from the strike in a crouch, he muttered, "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu Battojutsu – _So Ryu Sen_, revised."

Wiping at the thin trickle of blood the strike had caused, Firkraag snorted. "Don't get your hopes up." Leaping into the sky, the demon came down in a stomping kick that buried his leg ankle-deep into the rock, and, using that foot as a pivot, lashed out in a snap-kick at Ranma. The martial artist brought the blade up in a block, and Firkraag's aura sprang to life once again, warring with the sword's own blue glow.

"This isn't just a blessed blade," Ranma informed his opponent as they pulled apart. "This is a holy sword, forged as a sacrifice to Amaterasu. It's the principal forge, _sakabato shinuchi_."

Grunting with exertion, the martial artist leapt back from another strike, mentally assessing the situation. Despite having the sacred blade in his hands, things were going badly for him, and Ranma knew it. _I used up most of my ki reserves in that blast, and I can't just draw on Jusenkyo's magic like he can. Damnit, what's it take to kill him, anyway!_ He choked a small cry of pain as one of Firkraag's strikes connected, sending him to the ground. "Well, that was fun," the demon remarked, "but I've got things to do, places to be. You know the drill."

With that, Firkraag turned towards the Dragon Tap, and began releasing his aura. The blood red glow flared up, burning high into the sky in a flickering flame. Once the aura had solidified in a hemisphere around the demon, he turned back to Ranma, as the aura coalesced into a glow around his hand. "Say goodbye to Jusendo," he smirked, before releasing two successive blasts towards the Dragon Tap and the injured that lay under it.

Ranma's eyes flashed open as his mind registered the imminent threat to his mother and Kasumi. He ran forward, hoping he could reach them in time to shield them from the blast, knowing at the same time he wouldn't. The crimson beam blast of energy rolled forward, racing across the ground. _No! I refuse to accept defeat! I'm not going to fail, not now! Damnit, I **refuse** to let it end like that! Mom! Kasumi!_ He saw their eyes widen in disbelief as the rolling energy wave crept closer, realizing they would be dead in a mere moment.

The two women's eyes met his, and he saw pride and wonder in his mother's eyes, and sadness and something akin to affection in Kasumi's. _Could it be..._ He ran faster, drawing on his last remaining strength, drawing on everything he had left, sucking the air into his lungs like a drowning man. _I refuse to let it end like this, not without telling Kasumi that I...that I love her._

The world snapped back into focus, and Ranma could see every detail with crystal clarity, could hear the heartbeat of his mother, could feel the energy flowing around them. He could see the strands of energy flowing from Jusenkyo towards the demon, saw them weaving around him in his aura, channelling into the blast. And everything slowed to a near halt.

He seemed to run at normal speeds, easily catching up to the now almost motionless wave of red, positioning himself between it and his family. _Mom, Kasumi...Ucchan, Shampoo...I love you all too much to let it end like this. I'm not gonna let this happen! Not now, not ever! I'll protect you, I swear!_

Energy coursed through him, the power washing through his mind and body as he felt something in his mind unlock, something that held a fierce sense of pride and protectiveness, something usually gentle that was now a raging beast inside his mind. He released a low hiss as chi and ki whirled around him in a tornado of energy.

Nearly invisible ki blades on his fingernails solidified, taking on a soft golden glow, his eyes narrowed into slits, and his pupils flashed a rich amber color for a moment. He could smell the fear of the people behind him, awaiting their inevitable death, could feel the wind rushing around him, could see the energy swirling around his body and his sword. He could see his aura collide with the leading edge of the blast, eyes widening as a distortion formed, the flashing tear between the two aureal signatures blatantly obvious to him.

On instinct, he brought his sword forward, towards the distortion, slashing it with all his might and releasing the energy he had build up. He whispered the first words that came to his mind as the energy in him released in a beam of energy that hurled into the oncoming wave, dissipating it easily. "_Arashi no Ken_."

Time sped up again, as the second beam the demon had fired struck the Dragon Tap, collapsing the massive structure, shattering the rock supports that held the giant likening of a dragon. Tossing the blade aside, Ranma leapt into the air, letting his instincts take over, and met the falling debris head-on. It would have to go before it hit the people underneath him – and he would be damned before he allowed that.

Slashing his arms apart, his fingers forming claws, his mind screamed the words his mouth did not know. "_Hijin-Ken_!" The flying ki claws extended from his nails, shooting off into the air by the dozens as they met the falling rocks, shattering and incinerating them upon impact.

Twisting around he easily landed on his feet, and eyed the demon, a dangerous glint in his now cat-like eyes. The pig-tailed martial artist could feel the simple, subtle power coursing through him, hidden away, dormant, but there when unlocked. He growled at his opponent, lashing out again.

The ki blades tore into the demon's robes, and Firkraag staggered in surprise as he felt pain from the cuts that had been inflicted upon him. With a snarl, he began gathering energy once more, building up his energy for one last blast that Ranma neither could nor would dodge, and released the seals on his body, letting the raw energy pass through him. Bucking in pain as he tasted ashes on his tongue, Firkraag continued to channel Jusenkyo's magic into an energy blast that would level the entire mountain.

Ranma smirked as the red orb grew, then took off and flew towards him. _Can't go around it...so I'll have to go **through** it._ The Saotome heir charged forward, meeting the blast head-on as his own golden aura whirled around him, an unseen wind whipping his pigtail through the air. When he collided with the energy wave, he felt the force pushing him back, his aura shielding him from the searing heat of the blast melted the ground. He soared into it like a comet into the atmosphere, trailing a streak of gold behind him.

_There... I can see it. I can see where his attack meets mine. I can feel it._ Cocking his fist back, Ranma took aim at the forming distortion before him, the lightning that flashed as gold met crimson, and struck. "_Kami-Kaze Bofuû_!" His yell echoed through the entire mountain, the entire valley, it seemed, as a thread of gold wrapped itself around the blast, rocketing through it, writhing like a live snake as it wound itself along the length of the blast. Wihtout warning the blast reversed direction, spiralling towards its origin as the power backlashed.

The winds were howling around them as the combined blasts headed back towards the demon who stood before the Dragon Tap, slamming into him, his eyes wide with disbelief. The energy flashed around his body, crackling around his mortal shell as it sought purchase – and found it on his souls. Firkraag screamed in agony as the energy release swept through him, incinerating his body and severing his soul, overtaking and overloading it in an instant.

And then, as quickly as it had began, the winds died down, an the light faded.

V--------------------V

"Ranma! Ranma, wake up!" The female voice shouting his name slowly roused him from his peaceful slumber. "Just five more minutes...Mom..." The same female voice giggled, before replying, "Not likely, son. You've slept enough as it is!" With that, Ranma woke to a sudden, cold sensation.

"Aaaaah! Cold!" The now wet martial artist screamed as he leapt out of bed. "Whadd'ya do that for!" His sleepy eyes finally opened, and focused on the blurry form of his mother, bucket still in hand. "Thought that might wake you up," she grinned. Her eyes widened as she looked at her son, and he glanced around in confusion. "Something wrong, Mom?"

"You-you're male," Nodoka stammered out. "Huh?" Ranma looked down at himself, confirming that he, indeed, was still a he. "Huh?" He repeated intelligently. The implications of this fact took a moment to penetrate his sleep-fogged mind, but as it caught up, he leapt up, sweeping his mother into a hug and began dancing, shouting out in joy. "No more Ranko! No more girl! No more Kuno!" Especially the last thought caused him to laugh out long and loud.

When he'd calmed down somewhat, Ranma inspected his surroundings, realizing he was still on the top of Jusendo, under the Dragon Tap. Night was falling and shelters had been erected. Campfires were lighting the lenghtening shadows, and from the number of people present, he assumed the group that had attacked Joketsuzoku had returned. "What happened?"

Nodoka smiled as Ukyo and Shampoo, Kasumi and Kiima, Herb and Saffron, joined them. "You gave us quite a scare, Saotome," Herb chuckled as he sat down, leaning against a stone pillar, "Your mother was pretty worried about you." The pig-tailed martial artist blushed and glanced at his mother, who ruffled his hair affectionately. "Yeah. Although that was a pretty impressive fight you showed us. I don't think I've ever seen such power displayed before." Ranma blinked and did a double-take. Did Saffon just wink at him? And was that a hint of a grin on Kiima's face?

Before he could say anything, though, a bonbori and spatula impacted his head. Not especially hard, but he noticed. "Ouch – what the hell was that for!" Ukyo and Shampoo grinned in unison. "That's for letting us do all the fighting," they chorused, before glomping on to him. "And that's for making it out alive!"

Ranma turned a deep purple, half from blushing so hard, half from lack of oxygen. "Oh my, don't you think you should let go of Ranma-kun now?" Kasumi asked, and something akin to a frown adorned her face. Ukyo and Shampoo gulped audibly, a single thought racing through their minds. _Scary!_ They let go of him, and Kasumi smiled blissfully again, glomping onto the pig-tailed martial artist herself. It was all the two ex-suitors could do not to fall over in shock.

"So...uh...anyone got an idea why I'm suddenly cured?" Ranma asked. Surprisingly, it was Herb who answered. "Urd said something about Jusenkyo's energy having been released, and the system rebooting. There doesn't seem to be any curse on the pools of sorrow anymore," the Musk prince shrugged. "Something like that." Ranma pondered that for a moment. "Makes sense. The pools probably burned out or something."

His gaze wandered over to where two figures shared a campfire, far enough away from the main group for some privacy, but within earshot if needed. A sudden dreadful memory emerged from the depths of his mind, and he stood, shaking off all the helping hands that wanted to push him back or help him up. "I'll be right back," he said, walking over to where Setsuna and Urd sat.

Both were nursing bottles of sake, although where they had found the alcohol in the middle of China eluded the pig-tailed martial artist. He slowly sank onto a rock next to them, staring into the fire. "Want to talk about it?" he asked softly. Both women shook their heads, and Ranma caught a glimpse of their eyes. Red and swollen as they were from crying, they held a peace that he wouldn't have expected. Not now, anyway, not so close after the battle that had cost them so much.

"We've just been telling each other eulogies for Ryo-chan," Urd chuckled. "It's weird. I'm pretty darn sure he'd be pretty pissed if he could hear us talking about him like some saint, or something." Setsuna shuddered. "Oh, don't remind me. The last time I didn't do a kata right, he spanked me."

The silver-haired goddess's face lit up in a lecherous grin. "Kinky," she leered, and both of them broke out into giggles. Ranma heard them, smiling as they did, but said nothing as he continued to stare into the fire. "How can you do it?" He asked, "how can you cope with something so easily?"

The two women sobered instantly. "It's never easy. Never. Don't assume it's like that just because we can laugh again," Setsuna reprimanded him. "It still hurts, but time heals all wounds. Heck," she chuckled, "out of all of 'em lot, the two of us should know, eh, Urd?" The goddess nodded with a slight smile as she took a sip from her bottle. "You know, kid, we could cry and mourn and damn the fates. But ultimately, it won't do us any good. Those who are left have to move on...for the sake of the others. We can't hold on to the past forever. If we do, we loose ourselves. It doesn't matter who we curse for what fate deals us, because, ultimately..."

"We make our own destiny," Setsuna finished. The emerald-haired woman shook her head in mirth. "I think I understand what he meant. To run away, to give up at each seemingly impossible challenge...is weak. If we surrender without having fought..." "Life's not worth living." Ranma smiled as he completed the sentence.

"Yeah. Living on after something like this is what requires true courage. To live strong and meet life head-on. To never back down. I think that's what he was teaching us, ne, Urd?" The goddess smirked, before raising her bottle. "Amen to that." Taking a sip, she put the empty flask down. "It won't bring him back to cry. And, by the kami, we cried enough the past few hours. If he were still alive he'd give us a good whack for not moving on by now. So, that's what we're doing." She reached into the folds of her robe and withdrew a small roll of parchment. "By the way, he told me to give you this. Said something about personal precognition or some bull. Heh."

Ranma accepted the item carefull, and stashed it away. Watching the dancing flames, he suddenly looked up, a smile on his face, as well. "You know, there was this one time when Ryoga visited us during dinnertime. Of course, we hadn't worked things out by then, so there he was, standing in Ryoko's yard, screaming for me to die." He chuckled at the memory. "Mom had the funniest look on her face as she heard him, and we'd gotten out to deal with Ryoga and oyaji. So there I am, trading punches with my good-for-nothing father, and all of a sudden I hear someone yell, 'homerun!'" His smile widened. "And there Ryoga was, flying through the air. And Ryoko had that smug look on his face. I tell ya, I was on his side, and it was making even **me** mad. And then there was the time..."


	19. Epilogue: The True NekoKen

Author's Note: Well, here it is. The end. After, what...nearly a year and a half of writing, it's finally complete. This was one heck of a ride, folks, and I thank you for taking the time to read through it and live it with me. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was a wonderful experience, one I would like to repeat again. Actually, I have an Inu-Yasha fic planned after this. But wait! This story isn't at an end yet. I promised you guys a Ranma/Kagura arc, didn't I? Well, I'll be serving it up during the next few weeks.

And since this is the end, I wanna thank some people who've seen me through this story wtih support and advice – my kind reviewers!

Special Thanks to:

Wonderbee31

Hiyro

Author Dudicoff drop

Silverscale

Holy Sasami

Jetflash

Dogbertcarrol

Ranma hibiki

Malichite

Night-Owl123

Lord Rance

Drkjester

Dark Epyon

Ranko Urameshi

And everyone else who reviewed, read, commented, emailed or otherwise contacted me! Thank you all! It was a wonderful time!

P.S.: Anyone want me to write a sequel?

Epilogue: The True Neko-Ken

Ranma sat down on his futon in the Tendo Dojo, stretching his limbs. It felt good to be home. _Huh. Since when do I think of this place as 'home?' _Ever since Kasumi, he answered himself. The rasp of paper on wood alerted him that something had hit the ground, and as he looked down, noted th withered scroll Urd had given him. Carefully unrolling it, he read through it, mixed emotions playing over his face.

_The Neko-Ken doesn't exist. It is a manifestation of survival instincts that take whatever form that has been ingrained in the trainee...in this case, cats. The Neko-Ken is a technique used to enable the trainee to access their true spiritual potential, and teach them how to access pure ki. _

_However, the trainee does go insane, as most children do not have the required physical and mental training to handle the ki manipulation that is required upon completion of the training._

_This method, however efficient if properly conducted, is cruel to both the teacher and the trainee, and as such should never be used. This form of the Neko-Ken is uncontrollable, since finding a child of trainable age with the necessary physical and mental conditioning, as well as the required knowledge of ki manipulation such that the trainee would be able to undergo the training and maintain control over their emotions and reactions, is impossible. _

_The true Neko-Ken doesn't exist as such that it is not an actual fighting technique. Neither the enhanced speed or the ki claws that come with the beserker state of the actual training have been planned beforehand. The true Neko-Ken state is achieved when the trainee has attained a balance between their emotions, and found a purpose for their skills. The true Neko-Ken is the focal point around which revolves all of the training, spiritual and physical, which the trainee has undergone so far. _

_Once the trainee has put their inner demons to rest and calmed their turmoil, they should realize the purpose behind their training, realize the purpose of continuing it, and staying alive through it. Once the trainee has found their own reasons for continuing the Art, accessing pure, emotionally untainted ki becomes much easier._

_There will be no need for a focus emotion once this is done, and the trainee will have attained a state of mastery that surpasses even higher ki manipulation._

Ranma chuckled as he read it, mumbling, "Baka oyaji...stupid training manual." There was a small note scribbled at the end of the scroll, in a different handwriting.

_Well, Ranma, this is it. The solution to the Neko-Ken. Unfortunately, there is no cure for emotional trauma as inflicted upon you by the cats, but you could try and ask Urd if she can make you a potion for it._

At this point the martial artist shuddered, remembering all too well that the goddess, while well versed in the arcane arts, was a horrible cook, and that her talent in the kitchen was directly proportional to her success with potions.

_Scared you for a moment, didn't I? Well, I just want you to remember one thing. As long as you know why you continue your training in the Art, as long as you have a purpose, you will stay alive. And the will to live makes you strong. Remember this, and stay strong._

As he read the final note, the pig-tailed youth began laughing. The advice he'd been given sounded all too familiar to his ears.

V--------------------V

Akane looked up as the door to her room opened, and Ranma stepped in. "What do you want?" Her voice sounded strained, as if she was forcing herself to sound hostile. He took in her sullen look, and sat down on the chair next to her bed. "Talk to you."

"Huh?" Ranma chuckled. "I wanted to talk to you. You asked me what I wanted." At her tired glare, he continued. "Listen...I know what you're thinking. You think I'm pitying you, think that maybe, if you don't have to listen to other people try to talk to you about it, it'll all turn out to be a bad dream, right?"

He kept talking, unbidden, as if ignoring the fact that she seemed to ignore him. "But it hurts. I know how much it hurts. I still have nightmares about it. But, Akane, it wasn't your fault like it was mine. I made that choice. I killed deliberately. I may have lost control over my skills, but a small part of me wanted that man to die. You did no such thing. Your only fault was that you haven't had the training to fight the spell. And you can prevent it from happening again, if you continue to train. I don't ever want to loose control like that again," he whispered, looking down at his hands.

"Not ever again. Neither do you. I know you don't. I can see the way you beat yourself up over it. But life goes on, Akane. It's a mistake we both made, and we both paid for. It's a mistake too costly to make again. So, now we have to stop it from ever happening again." He stood from his perch on her chair.

"You told me in Jusendo that you were a martial artist, that it was your duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves. If that is truly what you believe, then let's go. We've got training to do." "Ranma..." her voice stopped him in the doorframe. The Saotome youth cocked his head to the side in a silent inquiry.

"You think I can do it?" Akane's voice was barely a whisper.

"I know you can." And Ranma left, not having to look to see the small smile spreading across the girl's face.

V--------------------V

"_Hijin-Ken_!" The golden projectiles slashed through the air, shearing into the practice dummy at the end of the training hall. Ranma turned around when he heard clapping from behind him, and stared straight into Kasumi's dark brown eyes. "How did you do that, Ranma-kun?" The martial artist stared down at his hands, the golden claws fading from his hands as he let the ki dissipate.

"It's the Neko-Ken, Kasumi. The real thing this time." He smiled as he sat down on the bench next to her. "I got full control over it now, and I don't think I'm ever going cat again. Still scared of 'em, though." A small giggle escaped her lips, and Ranma found himself entranced by the sound.

"Ya know...I wouldn't have been able to master it without you," he told her quietly. At her questioning glance, he plowed onward, hoping she would understand. "When I fought at Jusendo, I was loosing. Loosing badly, Kasumi. I was tired, and that ki blast I shot made me want to fall over and drop dead. But I realized if I did I'd be leaving you and Mom and all the others to die...and I couldn't. I wouldn't let anything happen to you." He looked up to stare into her eyes once more, searching those chocolate brown depths for something he hoped was there.

"I couldn't give up and let you get hurt. That's why I practice the Art, you know. To protect others. But...especially my friends and family. Especially the ones I love. And I love you, Tendo Kasumi." The words came easily now, and Ranma could see her eyes light up as she leaned towards him.

Their lips were microns apart when a sudden crash turned their attention to the shoji door, which was now lying flat on the ground, having been thrown out of its hinges by the weight of the people leaning against it. And, half standing, half lying on the ground in a tangled heap, were the smirking, smug, satisfied faces of Genma, Soun, Nodoka, Akane, Ryoga, Happosai, Cologne, Shampoo, and Ukyo.

Nabiki just looked triumphant as she held out her hand to Kuno, who reluctantly placed a thick wad of bills in her hands.

Ranma and Kasumi laughed. Things were far from what they had been before, but they were getting there. All it would take, was time. And he had all the time in the world. After all, now he had the three things he loved most – his Art, his friends, and his family.

**THE END**


	20. Book OneHalf: Chapter 10, Revised

Book One-Half: The Ranma/Kagura Story

Well, here it is. The Ranma/Kagura romance divergence. It starts from chapter 10, everything before is "canon" with the previous chapters of my story. However, chapter 10 has some minor modifications, especially at its end, so you might want to re-read the revised version I'm going to post. It took me a while to come up with a decent plot for it, but I think I got something worthwhie. And also, I would like to apologize to those who already looked up my website and started reading "The Longest Journey" and "The Long and Winding Road," two stories which I started before I actually came up with this arc. They'll be put on the backseat until this is finished. I'll still continue writing them, but very, very slowly, so I doubt I'll be able to update a chapter of them for a while.

Enjoy!

(As for the title, well…technically, it is only half a book….oh, c'mon, let me have my creativity! ;-P)

Chapter Ten: Dance of the Wind

The temple before him had definitely seen better days, Ranma mused. The Nanban mirror had, while returning him to his own time, deposited him somewhere in the middle of nowhere of Japan. The temple was half a ruin, with most of the outer wall reduced to rubble, vegetation growing all over the place and breaking through the tiles of the front courtyard. The building itself had seen better days, and Ranma could swear the roof was a little crooked. Still, it wouild do as shelter for the night. He had debated camping out in the forest when he had stumbled across it. Still, a crooked roof was better than no roof over his head. And in the state the temple was in, it was most likely unoccupied – after all, who would be staying in a half-ruin of a temple in the middle of nowhere?

When Ranma stepped into the building, though, he was in for a surprise. A woman was moving across the barren floor, working through a complicated kata with her fan. Her raven-black hair was tied back in a short swordsman's ponytail that stopped just above her shoulders, sweat was glistening on her brow as though she had been working her forms for a while, and she was wearing a nearly-immaculate red and white kimono. He stared, wide-eyed, as she finished up with her back towards him. "Are you just going to stand there all day, or introduce yourself?" Her voice had a chill to it that was devoid of hostility, but not necessarily friendly, either. It made a chill run down Ranma's spine.

She turned around, and Ranma froze as his storm blue eyes met her blood red ones. "I'm Saotome Ranma...sorry 'bout this," he stuttered out the now-familiar phrase. The woman nodded and slipped her fan into the sleeve of her kimono. "My name is Kagura. What brings you out here, Saotome Ranma?" He noted she stood relaxed, one hand still inside her sleeve, ready to draw her fan and attack, if need be. "I was wandering through these woods and was looking for a place to camp out the night when I saw the temple. I thought it was abandoned so I could spend the night here." She chuckled sheepishly. "Guess I'll go and camp out outside somewhere. Sorry."

"Wait." He turned around at the sound of her voice. "You may stay for the night, if you wish. It has been a while since I have had company. It gets...lonely out here." Ranma stared. "If you keep staring at me like that, I just might change my mind," she told him with a hint of amusement. The pig-tailed martial artist realized just what part of her body he'd been staring at, and blushed. "Sorry. Thanks for letting me stay. What are you doing out here, anyway?"

A sad smile hushed across her lips before she replaced it with a neutral look. "I'm too dangerous to live around."

V-------------V

The fire crackled, casting light into the growing shadows of the coming night. The smell of something cooking wafted across the courtyard, where Ranma had set up his camping gear and was preparing dinner. "That smells wonderful," Kagura said from the door. The pig-tailed martial artist turned around, glancing at the woman. "Dinner's almost ready. Least I could do for you letting me stay here."

They ate in amiable silence, staring at the stars as they finished and waited for the fire to die out. "What did you mean, you're too dangerous to live around?" Ranma finally asked. "I...am more powerful than anyone has a right to be. It is easy for me to take the lives of others if I loose control. I won't risk that." Her tone had a finality to it that told him she wouldn't talk further about this topic. "Why are you here? I've lived in this temple for...a long time, and have never seen anyone passing through these woods."

"Pretty much same reason as you have for staying here, I guess," Ranma replied, glancing at her. Her red eyes were...unsettling, to say the least. "I am looking for a way to control the Neko-ken." Her shocked gasp startled him. When he turned around to face her, he could see a mixture of fear and hate in her eyes. "You carry the Neko-ken? And you retained your sanity?" she nearly hissed.

"No. I still go cat, but it's not permanent. I can be snapped out of it, but if I am around a cat for too long, the Neko-ken takes over. It's too powerful to be uncontrolled, that's why I'm here." He could see her relax her guard slightly, but was still taken aback at the sudden hostility she showed. "Who did this to you?"

"My worthless excuse for a father," he told her, his voice flat. It was the same tone she had used to conclude the topic about her moments before. "What style do you practice?" He finally asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen, trying to steer the topic away from both their pasts.

"It doesn't have a name," she told him simply. "I have never had to use it again, and swore to never use it against a living opponent ever again."

V-------------V

Morning found Ranma waking up to a slight rustle on the ground. He cracked an eye open and waited for his vision to adjust to the sunlight, then opened his eyes fully. "Awake, I see," Kagura greeted him, never stopping her kata as she danced around him on the empty floor, barely making a sound. The kata was unlike any he had ever seen, and as he sat up, the pig-tailed martial artist took his time and studied the woman.

She was moving surely, but as quietly as he'd only seen Shinobi move. Her stances and steps made the kata seem like a dance of sorts, she never remained in any place for long, and the moves were streamlined and exuded elegance. It reminded him of that martial arts ballroom dancing contest he had entered once, except for the fact he could see the underlying fighting techniques, deadly strikes that seemed like a casual flick of the wrist or tiny distortions that gave away the ki that was used when she put down her foot. She was smiling and had her eyes closed as she continued, sweat running down her face.

It was like something he had only heard about. This was what others had told him his kata looked like, a dance, more than anything else. A form of art. Kagura moved slowly, but he could see her hand flash out with her fan and resume its previous position at speeds even he had trouble seeing. Her right arm came around in a slow arc as she pivoted on her left foot, spinning in place, her kimono whipping around her as she returned to a ready stance, set to begin anew. _Dance of the wind,_ flashed through his mind.

This time, Ranma joined her. Standing opposite her, he ignored her surprised look and closed his eyes, extending his ki and letting his battle aura flare to life. He could feel the ki she was expending with every move, could feel where she directed it, and she could feel his. She moved around him, sliding forward and sideways in a manner that made it seem she was floating across the floor, and he parried her thrust, blocked her slash, and countered.

Ranma relaxed as he moved in perfect harmony with her, each strike or thrust perfectly countered. This was an excercise unlike any he had seen. Kagura was moving so incredibly slow, but her movements were elegant and perfectly controlled, unlike his usual fast-paced, furious shadow fights. They could feel the ki the other expended, relying on their intuition and instincts as they moved across the room, never making a sound louder than the rustle of the leaves outside.

He lost himself in the excercise, relishing the control he felt, the pure joy at practicing his art, and the harmony they were moving in. He didn't need to see to know the beauty of her style. He could barely believe this was a way of fighting to her, it felt more like they were...dancing. Partners in a choreographed waltz, it seemed. Moving to an imaginary music, it seemed like an elaborate slowdance, yet he knew that if any of her strikes connected, her opponent would be dead in an instant. He had recognized several of the areas she had targeted as vital pressure points and vital areas that would cause nearly immediate death if struck properly.

He could almost feel the smile cross her face as they continued in complete synchronization, and could feel the sheer joy she was radiating. In a way, she was like him, he mused. Both loved their art, yet both feared what it could do to others.

When they finally finished, the sun had fully risen over the horizon and was standing high in the sky. Ranma opened his eyes to a serenely smiling Kagura, and realized he was copying that smile. He loved his art for the thrill of battle, but here was another aspect that deserved his admiration, the beauty of movement, the grace inherent to them, the harmony they felt.

"It's beautiful," he said simply. "It is," she agreed. "It's also lethal. Any of those could have killed you instantly," she told him reproachingly. Ranma shrugged and smirked as he replied. "The path of a martial artist is fraught with peril," he quoted.

"Thank you," she whispered. "It has been a long time since I enjoyed an excercise like that. It is nice to be able to share it with someone." "No big deal. It might have given me a new perspective on things, as well. You emphasize control over power, focus over speed. It is what makes it so beautiful, I think."

Taking a look at the sky, Ranma turned and reached for his pack. "Time for me to leave, I guess. Thanks for letting me stay. It was fun." He smiled, and it widened as he saw her return it with one of her own. "It has been enjoyable. Before you go, I have something to tell you." She gestured towards the porch, and both moved outside.

"You have shown me that my art...is an art first and foremost. It is a thing of beauty, and I have found my joy again in it, I thank you for that," she told him. "I will tell you something about the Neko-ken."

"As you know, it is taught by leaving the trainee in a pit of starving felines. The trainee has to be a young child because of the way the Neko-ken works. You know about basic survival instincts?" At Ranma's nod, she continued.

"When confronted with life-threatening situations, the mind tends to shut down and let the body take over. These conditioned reflexes usually take you out of danger, or enable you to do so. The Neko-ken conditions the child's body and mind to do the same thing. It ingrains a deep fear of cats, because of the immense hurt they cause, traumatizing the trainee for life. I'll tell you now, there is no cure for the Neko-ken." She held up a hand, forestalling any comments. "But it can be controlled. It is a difficult process, and I haven't seen anyone with the strength of will to master it yet. Then again, I haven't seen any who weren't trapped in the feral state yet."

She turned to stare directly into his eyes, her gaze seemingly going through his entire being as she seemed to look into his sould. "The Neko-ken is the manifestation of your basic survival instincts. Your body is conditioned so that when a survival situation comes up – an encounter with a cat – your mind shuts down when a very strong and uncontrollable emotion appears, and your body takes over. Your fear of cats is the trigger for the Neko-ken, but any powerful emotion that would be too much for your mind to take would do. You need to control your mind's reaction, in order to control the Neko-ken."

Ranma stared at her for a moment. "So you're saying I need to find something stronger than my fear of cats to latch on, but something I have control over? That way I'd still fall into the Neko-ken, but I'd be able to control it?" At her nod, he sighed. _Oh boy...Stupid oyaji and his stupid ideas. If it weren't for him, I'd be...How the heck do I find something sronger than my fear of c-c-cats?_ Kagura saw the pig-tailed martial artist shudder for a moment. "I didn't say it would be easy, and it is all just a guess."

"It's also the best shot I have," Ranma noted. "No one else has even come close to explaining the Neko-ken as well as you have." He stood up and hefted his pack. "Thanks for the advice. Now I at least have an idea of what to try. I think I better get going now. Live well."

"Farewell, Saotome Ranma. I don't expect to see you here again," she replied as he left into the forest.

V-------------V

Sweat was running down his face, his eyes clenched shut in concentration and anxiety. Carefully, he put a hand into the sack, grabbed hold of what was in it, and slowly, so very slowly, lifted it out. He cracked one eye open a tiny little bit, then a little more, forcing his body to react. "Meow," came from the cat, and all went black.

"Ranma. Ranma. Ranma...Ranma..."

The pig-tailed martial artist awoke with a start. Opening his eyes, he found only darkness, and feared he was still trapped in his mind, while the Neko-ken roamed free, until he made out the distinct light of a campfire. "Finally decided to wake up?" A familiar voice asked from next to him. He slowly turned his head and supported himself on his elbows as he tried to shake away the last bits of disorientation after falling into the feral state. "Kagura?" In the dim light he could make out the silhouette of the temple building that was the woman's residence, and he wondered what he had done while he'd gone cat. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I heard a scream and ran towards it. Then I found you in a clearing. You were caught in the Neko-ken." She checked the fire for a moment, before returning her attention to him. "You were rather calm, not like the beserkers it usually produces. I brought you back here after you fell alseep." Ranma nodded and groaned as that caused a major headache to start up. "Thanks...oww...what's with the headache? That usually don't happen after the Neko-ken..."

"I don't know, I'm not familiar with a case like yours. What caused you to lapse into it?" Ranma grinned wryly. "Self-experiment. Wanted ta see if I could get the hang of what you said earlier." Glancing down at himself, covered in wood chips and splinters as he was, he sighed. "Didn't work all that well, apparently. Gotta find something else to focus on before I go cat."

"What did you try out?"

"Let's see...confidence and depression. Although I'd rather not try to get depressed again. One Ryoga is enough for the world..." He shuddered. "Didn't want to try anger. I'm...too dangerous when I'm angry." He lapsed into silence as he stared at his hands, unbidden memories of the dead body of the man he'd killed returning. "You fear loosing your control to your anger, it's understandable. Have you ever killed in rage?" Kagura suddenly asked.

"Yeah. Once. It ain't something I'm proud of. I'm a martial artist, not a warrior. I don't kill," he hissed. "That is good to hear. The time for warriors ended long ago. They have no place in today's world...lives are too valuable for that. The few that are left...are relics of times that had best be forgotten." Ranma almost missed it when she added in a whisper, "like me."

"What do you mean?" He was glad for anything that could get him off the subject of death. It brought too many unwanted memories. "I...don't belong in this time," she finally told him after a long pause. "I was raised as a warrior, learned to slay without remorse from an early age, and I did...because I had to. Avenging my father's death, defending myself and my mother as we made our living on the streets. I loved my art, but with each life it took, it became more of a tool and less of a passion."

She tossed a dry piece of ember into the fire, watching the sparks fly for a moment. "It became so easy to kill...and so hard to stop. I have never drawn my weapon against a human being again after I avenged my father. It was the last time I killed, and the one time I didn't regret it. After that I wandered around, and I soon found out that warriors like myself were dying out. Evil wasn't slain anymore, it was locked away and redeemed. It was given a chance. And now, I am left with nothing. All I learned, all I have, is my art, and it's purpose is to take life. I refuse to take life, therefore my art is useless. I am nothing, someone who doesn't fit into this world. Someone who doesn't belong here, someone too dangerous to live with. If I ever drew my weapon against another person again, I could slay dozens in a matter of moments, and I refuse to take that risk."

Ranma sat back, shifting so he was leaning against a rock. "You know, you're wrong." At her curious stare, he continued, "martial arts...isn't a tool for killing. Martial arts is a way of living." _I can't believe I'm giving philosophical advice,_ he thought. "I love my Art as much as you do, because it makes me feel whole. When I fight, I can fly. When I fight, I can dream. When I fight, I can dance. I told you before, that excercise you showed me was beautiful. It could kill, but it was...more beautiful than any kata I've seen. I saw the joy on your face when you ran through it. A martial artist practices his Art not for killing, not for money, or anything else – you do it for yourself, and no one else. I love my Art because I can grow. I am the best, and have to stay the best, it is a constant challenge, and I love it. Nothing is really impossible when you put your mind to it, **that**'s what martial arts is about."

Pausing from his speech for a moment, Ranma glanced up at the stars. He lifted an arm, reaching out as if to touch them, catch them and bring them down to him. "I dream, Kagura. And in my dreams, I fly. I can go up there and catch myself a star. I am a martial artist because I can dream, and I can make these dreams come true."

"I...I wish I could love the Art again,"she slowly began. "But there's already too much blood on my hands. I killed more people than I could keep track of. I don't want to risk loosing control again. It isn't worth it." Ranma just smiled as he replied. "Oh, but you're wrong. It is. Because, when you truly love the Art, it will guide you away from the warrior's path. I was tempted to become one, to be able to protect those around me. You know what kept me back?"

Kagura shook her head, prompting him to reply. "It was the Art. I couldn't, wouldn't sacrifice it, or my honor for taking a life. In the end, I wasn't willing to make that sacrifice, but I still have my Art. Because I love the Art, I'm forcing myself to learn control, because I respect and value it too much to degrade it to being a tool for hurting people. I can protect those around me...without taking lives." Ranma took a deep breath, wincing slightly as the headache got worse.

The woman smiled slightly. "Maybe. But maybe I go deeper than you think." Ranma shrugged. "So? We all have our dirty little secrets that we aren't proud of. I've got my own demons to deal with. You already know about the Neko-Ken." He couldn't help but notice how she flinched at the word "demon," and wondered what that meant. "Our own demons, eh?" Kagura asked, chuckling.

"Ya know, I can only speak for myself, but living out here, all alone...must be getting lonely. All I've ever had was rivals who wanted to kill me or beat me, and girls who wanted to marry me. It's not much," he said, "but it's company. It's people letting me know I'm alive. If I didn't have that...I don't know what I'd live for. 'It's a martial artist's duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves,'" he quoted. "We practice the Art for our own reasons, but I can't think of a better one than to help us make a difference, for ourselves and others."

He shifted until he was comfortable before continuing. "Tell ya what, why don't you come along with me? You've been living in this temple for – how long?" Kagura chuckled, "I don't remember. Oh...the last three, four hundred years?"

"Exactly. Way too long. So, whatcha think? Think you can stand having a smartass, arrogant jerk like me around?" He caught a glimpse of a smile on her face as she replied. "That depends," she told him. "If you can stand having an old, cranky woman like me around."

V-------------V

They were on the road again, leaving the old, desolate temple behind them without a second thought. He shot a sideways glance at Kagura, still somewhat surprised the odd woman had agreed to accompanying him to wherever he was going. He was surprised she had agreed, especially considering he himself had no idea where to go from here. He could head back home – he had promised his mother to visit, after all – but that would just bring with it all the problems he'd been trying to avoid.

He was also wondering what would happen if he were to encounter Ryoga right now, in the state he was in. A part of him felt as alive as he had never felt before, brimming with energy and confidence, looking forward to an interesting journey. He finally had a hint to the resolution of the Neko-Ken, he'd found someone who understood the art just as he did; someone who, for once, did not seem out to kill or marry him.

But another part of him felt deathly afraid. Until now his fights with Ryoga and Mousse and all his other rivals in Nerima had been friendly, relatively speaking. But his opponents were taking matters more and more seriously, and he began to think that they really didn't want his friendship, only his blood. That thought alone made him shiver, and he hoped that none of them ever pushed him so far that he crossed the line and lost control ever again. Killing was an experience he never wanted to make again, but his enemies were constantly wielding around dangerous weapons and had started heeding collateral damage less and less.

It wouldn't be long until either one of them came across the idea of threatening his family to get him to sit still, and that particular train of thought made him feel more than queasy. He knew that if that ever happened, he wouldn't be able to reign in his anger, wouldn't be able to control the powder keg that was the Neko-Ken.

Trying to dislodge his current train of thought, he searched his mind for something to occupy him. A hand on his shoulder caused him to look up into deep red eyes, and he felt himself flush with embarassment as he stared at Kagura. "Hm?" She giggled for a moment, before shaking her head in amusement. "I asked, are you all right? You seem lost in thought."

The pig-tailed martial artist nodded. "Just thinking about some stuff back at home." Giving him a small smile, she nodded and began walking again, leaving Ranma to his thoughts once more. Inadvertently, the Saotome youth's mind drifted off towards his unlikely travel companion.

V-------------V

_Kagura_. He didn't quite know what to make of her, and knew little of her past. He did know that she was as dedicated to the Art as he was, and he especially knew what he had seen in her eyes the night he had first met her. He knew that look too well, having seen it in the mirror more than enough times. Loneliness.

It was a feeling people usually didn't think he would be feeling, not with a life like his and the young women throwing themselves at him, but he did. It was a feeling born out of desperation and despair, knowing that everyone around him wanted something from him, or deserved something he couldn't give. From what little he had coaxed out of her, he knew her past hadn't been pretty, but then, who was he to hold past actions against someone else?

He knew very well what she had done; removing herself from society into a self-imposed exile on the grounds that she was too dangerous to be a loose cannon. He himself had that problem, now more than ever. Like her, he had killed, but she had done it willingly. Ranma knew he couldn't begin to fathom the guilt she felt over taking lives, knowing that she was in full control of her actions.

But he also knew honor when he saw it. Maybe he wasn't able to see it in himself, but he could easily see how she could be foolish enough to retreat from everyone else to make sure others were safe from her. It was something he had contemplated, but discarded almost immediately. It was his duty to help others, and that meant he couldn't afford to shun everyone else.

And if it meant he had to train harder to achieve enough control to be safe, then so be it. He valued his honor and duty too much to abandon it like that, and he knew she did, as well, judging by the way she had reacted to his offer of a chance to once again be a martial artist.

And somehow, he felt a connection with the strange woman, on a level he couldn't quite grasp. They had an instinctive understanding of each other, almost as if they knew the other's thoughts with a simple look into their eyes. It had been something he had felt stirring during their morning practice, and it had been oddly soothing. Maybe, he mused, it was becaused they shared their purpose in life, their Art.

V-------------V

_Akane._ Friendship, love, trust, betrayal. Cute, he added almost as an afterthought. Unstable, too. Those were the first things that came to mind when he thought of his "unwanted" fiancee. Thinking of her hurt, these days. They hadn't gotten along well since the day he had crossed the threshold of the Tendo home, but that was as much his fault as hers, he thought. He knew he hadn't been the most polite or sensitive person; being raised by Genma on the road had left him uncouth and brash, and it showed.

Still, what did he feel when he thought of her? He knew he didn't fear her, he could take her out in a serious fight without breaking a sweat. Did he love her? He remembered Kasumi asking him that very same question once. He had told her the truth then: he didn't love her, not anymore. There was too much bad blood between them for that, now. Friends, they could be, but a relationship would never work out anymore. He trusted her, he knew that. He liked her, even. But those feelings seemed tainted somehow, and for the sake of his life the young martial artist couldn't figure out why.

His mind drifted back to that fateful day he had arrived at the Tendo home and had turned their world upside-down. It had rained, they had arrived, and the Tendos had been understandably shocked. He mused as he recalled his first impressions of the three sisters. Kasumi, the gentle angel, who was so pure and beautiful that nothing ever seemed to faze her, but with sadness buried so deep within her that seemed to be a crime to exist. Nabiki, eyes shining with a keen intelligence that showed a lot of potential, but tainted with regret and resentment for the world that had taken her mother away. And Akane, the strong, independent martial artist, with a strong sense of pride and an ego that rivalled his own.

Akane had seemed so nice at first. "Want to be friends?" the words echoed in his mind. He had thought he'd finally found a friend, a companion to share adventures and stories with, but more importantly, someone who could provide some sense of stability in his life. Of course, that had been too good to be true and only lasted until she found out he wasn't really a girl. The fathers hadn't helped, either, but ever since she retracted her friendly words and her stare turned hostile and outright hateful, he had felt a deep resentment towards her, and a deep feeling of hurt and regret.

It was betrayal, he knew. He had fought for her, protected her, stuck by her. He had trusted her. It was a courtesy she never extended to him. Kasumi never hurt him, except for that first day when she hoisted him off on Akane, but he could understand that. Nabiki used him to turn a profit, but he understood her motives, and she had actually started to ask his permission to take photos of him. She had claimed they were more profitable if he was actually posing, but deep down Ranma believed the true reason was something else. Akane had no good reason, other than that first day and her dislike of the male part of the human species. How the girl could claim to hate boys and like men was beyond him.

He had trusted her. She had denounced him. He had protected her. She had abused him. Considering all things together, no matter how rusty his math skills, this was one equation even he realized didn't work out. Akane had her moments, but her smile had grown rarer and her insults had become more frequent. Part of that, he knew, had been the Amazon potion at work, but even that hadn't done much except weaken some inner barriers against violence and releasing her emotions.

No, Akane would never work out.

V-------------V

_Shampoo_. The name of the Amazon brought a shudder to him. The person who had first chased him across most of mainland China with intent to kill him, then followed him to Japan and carved a wide path of chaos and havoc while seeking to marry him. She was forward, aggressive, and determined. A little too forward, as far as Ranma was concerned. He didn't like her glomps one bit, but there was only one place he could push her to get her to release him...and he sure as hell wasn't going to put his hands **there**.

What he had seen, though, made his opinion of her waver. While at times ignorant and a tad insensitive – Ranma almost snorted at the fact that he of all people was calling someone else insensitive – was in no unclear terms devoted. Even though no one seemed to have noticed, he had seen the look in her eyes when she looked at him. It was the same look Ukyo had, one that Shampoo had developed only a while after she returned with Cologne. Still, it was there nonetheless.

Ranma prided himself at being able to read people well, it was a necessary skill in combat. And if he read Shampoo right, she had developed some actual feelings for him. Her eyes had changed over time, as had her attitude. For her, this had gone from a simple hunt to something more important...to finding an equal, a mate, a friend, someone she had found could best her in combat and make her push her limits.

In a way, they were both similar, he mused. Both were champions of their respective enclaves. Both were at the top, fighting a constant challenge to stay there, because they had nothing else. Both were lonely, shunned or hunted and challenged by those envying their positions. And then, she had found someone who viewed her as an equal in fighting, who could challenge her and defeat her, who would make her challenge herself. He knew he didn't exactly see Shampoo this way...but she did.

She was beautiful, there was no denying that, especially since she still continued to wear her short Chinese dresses. They didn't leave much to the imagination, but Ranma wasn't one to be caught with looks alone. He knew Shampoo was more intelligent than most believed, more intelligent than her broken Japanese let on. She treated him well, and showed some actual affection, even if she did overdo it at times. Then there was Cologne with her potions and herbs and knowledge of shiatsu. She was a dangerous oppononent, indeed, even outside of combat. To be honest, he was getting tired of avoiding potions and protecting everyone from their side-effects.

But she was also bound by her traditions and customs, he realized. While Shampoo might see him as an equal, the rest of the village would not. If he followed her, he would remain a second-class citizen for life, never being able to take as active a role as he wished, always remaining in the shadow of his wife. It was something he would never concede to. It was against his nature.

He could come to like her, as a friend, as an ally, as a brother. Never as a lover. He knew she was willing to fight for and with him, to sacrifice for him, she had proven that when they had followed Kirin to his home to retrieve Akane. She had taken on the guard of one of the gates of the Seven Lucky Gods by herself, so he could continue on. Like Akane, there was too much counting against her now.

V-------------V

_Ukyo_. She was probably his oldest friend, the one he had found he held immediate affection for when he realized who she was. She was the one who knew him best, who he could find he liked easily. He knew her, or at least, he felt confident he did, and had been friendly to him – that incident during her arrival notwithstanding. He felt sadness for her, and remorse for being the cause of her abandonment, even if only indirectly.

She was the one he missed most from his memories, wishing to relive those carefree and happy days where they would talk and fight and play. He had been happy back then, having no idea of just how much Genma had screwed up his life. He knew Ukyo was hell-bent on marrying him. He also knew she cared for him as something more than a friend, but cared enough to be just a friend when he needed one. She listened to him, talked to him, and he knew he felt better after talking to Ucchan.

She respected his wishes, and knew he had to make his own decisions. Ukyo also had never pushed the issue as much as the others had, unless one counted her involvement in the failed wedding and the occassional squabble with his other fiancees. He had forgiven them for the wedding, and knew the fights between them were required. It was something to show their rivalry, but he also knew they enjoyed the fights to an extent. Ukyo and Shampoo were excellent martial artists – they weren't close to his or Ryoga's level, but formidable in their own rights – and seemed to relish being able to fight with another of equal skill.

He loved Ukyo. Ranma admitted to that. But he was wary of the kind of love she wanted from him. He saw her as a sister, as his childhood friend, a confidente, sidekick, companion. He had needed a friend when they had met the first time, and he had latched on to her. He had needed a friend the second time they met, and she had been there for him again. She deserved better, he knew, but he couldn't offer her more. And he wouldn't trap her in the loveless marriage that would result if they married now, on the spot.

She would always be the friend who had been there when he needed her, but he couldn't see her as anything else right now.

V-------------V

_Kasumi_. Ranma didn't know why he included her in his list of fiancees, but he knew he had begun to see her as something other than the surrogate mother she had been. He had noticed the subtle way she carried herself, with a grace and fluidity that was as elegant as his own, yet more refined, more fitting for her. More feminine, was the only way he could think to describe it.

She was a beautiful young woman, all that one could hope for, friendly, compassionate, gentle. She seemed to like him, as well, though he was unclear on exactly where they stood. She seemed to like Tofu-sensei, and that the good doctor returned her sentiments – at least, judging from the way he acted around her - however, there was the little problem with his condition whenever she was around. Then again, neither had openly expressed anything but friendship for the other, so he wasn't sure. Kasumi, he reflected, was easy to read. Superficially, at least. She seemed to be always cheerful, always happy with a ready smile on her face.

It had taken Ranma a while to figure her out, to spot traces of the hidden pain he had seen a glimpse of that first day. She buried the pain of her mother's death under a facade of false happiness, taking over her mother's role. He nearly smiled as he realized the implications. They, too, had things in common. They both had to be strong in their respective disciplines, both could never afford to show any weakness. Both had only one thing that kept them going: he, his Art, she, her family.

He could understand her reaction that first day, pushing him off to Akane. He had seen the surprise and fear in her eyes when he transformed. It was in the human nature to fear and resent the unnatural, the things that were different. And at that time, she had feared him. She was one person he was determined to see happy, she deserved it, he reflected. He couldn't find it in his heart to resent her for anything, should she choose not to engage in a relationship with him.

He would have to find out exactly where they stood when he returned, but he knew one thing with absolute clarity: she was one of the three women he would protect unconditionally and with all he had. Because she, Ukyo, and his mother were the only family he had, and may the kami have mercy on those who would try to hurt them.


	21. Chapter 11b: The Lost and the Damned

Chapter Eleven: The Lost and the Damned

Pain was all he felt. An unimaginable, horrifying pain that defied explanation. But then again, he should have expected something like that. After all, not many went against Hild and lived to tell the tale, and he knew very well that it was only the doublet system that kept him alive; that had made the mistress of Niflheim seal him in this hellhole rather than execute him. But he knew he was not alone. There was a presence, something entirely noncorporeal, stirring next to him, as if the short time the seal had been opened had been enough to awaken it from its ancient slumber.

How long had he been in here? He did not know. Time had no meaning for him, not in here. Had it been a month? A week? Long enough for him to go insane? He didn't even want to know what had happened to his accomplice, the fallen goddess that had aided him in his plans. The gods could be cruel at times, even more so that demons, and he was certain they wouldn't be negligient with one who had overstepped her boundary as far as she had. He immediately realized the absurdity of that question, there was no way that anyone could tell how much time had passed.

_What year was it when you were imprisoned?_ Was his cryptic reply. He was quick to answer, realizing that that wasn't his subconscious speaking; something that, on some level, reassured and frightened him at the same time. It meant he had at least some company, yet it also meant that there was little hope of ever seeing sunlight again. _1994,_ he told his companion. _Over five hundred years…_ Firkraag could almost hear the wry smile on the other's face. _What did you do?_

There was a short laugh. _I tried to claim something out of my reach. Something to grant me power, something that would allow me to tear down the order or the world and rebuild it._ There was a bitterness in the voice that Firkraag understood. _I cannot break out,_ the voice continued, _but I have found a way to cast my influence beyond the seal. Little by little I have worn it down with what little power remains to me. I am not a demon, merely a demonic creature; as such, I cannot be stripped of all of my powers. Getting killed weakened me, but I retain some ofch about this place? How long have you been here?_ He immediately realized the absurdity of that question, there was no way that anyone could tell how much time had passed.

_What year was it when you were imprisoned?_ Was his cryptic reply. He was quick to answer, realizing that that wasn't his subconscious speaking; something that, on some level, reassured and frightened him at the same time. It meant he had at least some company, yet it also meant that there was little hope of ever seeing sunlight again. _1994,_ he told his companion. _Over five hundred years…_ Firkraag could almost hear the wry smile on the other's face. _What did you do?_

There was a short laugh. _I tried to claim something out of my reach. Something to grant me power, something that would allow me to tear down the order or the world and rebuild it._ There was a bitterness in the voice that Firkraag understood. _I cannot break out,_ the voice continued, _but I have found a way to cast my influence beyond the seal. Little by little I have worn it down with what little power remains to me. I am not a demon, merely a demonic creature; as such, I cannot be stripped of all of my powers. Getting killed weakened me, but I retain some of my strength. Answer me this, young one. If you could, would you exact revenge on those you hate?_

Firkraag took a long while to think. A painful spasm wracked his body as his nerves reacted to some outside stimulus, and he bit down to keep from screaming. He had done that the first couple of times, and it had taken much practice to endure the pain he felt. The voice's declaration stirred his hatred awake once more, the burning emotions overriding his sense of despair and fear of this nothingness. He could feel the hatred fueling his strength, until he could ignore the pain. A grim thought passed through his mind. Even if he would be damned to spend eternity in here, he **would** get his revenge.

_What is your name?_ He asked once more, knowing full well that the other knew he would accept the offer, no matter what it entailed. And he could almost hear the smile in the answer.

_You may call me…Naraku._

_V---------------V_

A lone figure stopped, standing high on a cliff, the sun dramatically outlining the muscular form as he turned around, shaking his fist at the sky as if to announce his defiance to the heavens. Accompanying that was a string of profanities that was closed by the upteenth cursing of a certain, pig-tailed martial artist. Taking a moment to sit down and rest, Hibiki Ryoga cursed his sense of direction which had caused him to loose track of his rival. His last encounter with Ranma had been anything but pleasant, and he could feel the embarassment build up once more as he recalled his latest defeat.

Even months of travelling hadn't dulled his hunger for revenge, especially since his last defeat had been nearly instantaneous; he conveniently forgot that it was a friend of his pig-tailed nemesis who had so casually defeated him. But it all lead back to Ranma, anyway, right? After all, he was the honorless cur who had run from the Tendo dojo to hide with that guy, and if he'd taken his punishment like a man and died, he wouldn't have interfered and never defeated Ryoga. Right?

The lost boy sighed. He decided to give up on that particular train of thought; lately, it had been getting harder and harder to blame Ranma for anything, mostly because he wasn't around. Besides that, his unconscious attempts to twist his logic to fuel his depression and hatred towards his rival were growing more and more confusing, up to the point where Ryoga really couldn't tell fact from fiction anymore, completely forgetting how anything had started.

The thought of Akane both brightened his mood and depressed him. On his last visit she had been moody and irritable, and he knew that was somehow Ranma's fault. Yet at the same time his rival was out of the way, so he was free to make his move – if only he could find his way back. Having spent the last weeks to build his courage to ask the girl out on a date, he was now faced with the dilemma brought upon him by his family curse. And of course, that, too, somehow had to be Ranma's fault.

He was torn, not knowing what to feel anymore. His hatred for the pig-tailed youth had been growing harder to keep up, but each time he had resolved to try and talk things out, Ranma went and alienated Akane again, incensing him in turn. Now he'd heard Ranma was responsible for taking martial arts from Akane, and he vowed to make the Saotome youth pay.

With a tired sigh, Ryoga turned and began wandering again, hoping that he would one day find a way to defeat Ranma and make him pay for all the pig-tailed boy had done to him and Akane. He knew his opponent was faster than he was, knew that his only advantage lay in strength and toughness. If only Ranma would stay still. If only…

_You can make him stay still._ "Who's there!" Ryoga spun around, looking for the source of the voice that resonated in his head. _You cannot find me, boy. You cannot detect me with your senses, yet I am here. I can offer you some help, to fulfill your desire for revenge. I can help you exact vengeance on the one who wronged you._ With a sour smile, Ryoga shook his head. Things had to be pretty bad if he was hearing voices. Maybe, he thought, just maybe, he should go visit a doctor. For a moment, he thought the disembodied voice was laughing. _I am real, young one. You are not insane._

"What do you want?" Even if the offer was real, if Ryoga had learned anything from his adventures, then it was the fact that talking ghosts and noncorporeal voices usually meant some kind of trouble. _To offer you my help. I can lend you what little is left of my strength. I will not be much, but more than that, I can offer you insight. I have lived millennia only to be foiled by an arrogant child. I offer my help so that you can avenge me in my stead._ "I ain't fighting no one for you! And are you calling me stupid!" Ryoga left the words hang in the air as an unspoken challenge.

_Stupid you are not, yet you have much to learn of the art of war. And since we are after the same person, I doubt you wil protest killing him much._ "You're after Ranma?" Ryoga asked, a part of him wondering just how the Saotome heir managed to get himself into such trouble all the time. "What did he do to you?"

_He has banished me from this plane of existence, sealing me away for eternity in nothingness. I have nothing more to live for, but revenge. I cannot escape my prison, but I can lend you my help._ Ryoga mentally cursed his rival again, ignoring the tiny part of his conscience that screamed at him to think the matter through before recklessly jumping into the offer. _I can help you make him stand and fight you on equal grounds. I can make it so he will not run from your strength ever again. I can do all this for you, if you accept my offer._

"Why should I? I'm strong enough to beat Ranma by myself! I don't need anyone's help! I'll defeat him on my own, whatever the cost!" _You have the strength and determination to defeat him, yet you suffer defeat every time. Not because you lack skill and strength, but because he refuses to let himself be trapped. Let me help you trap him, and victory will be yours._

"I-" collapsing to the ground, the lost boy sat for a moment. The offer was tempting, and if whoever it was could really offer him enough help to trap his rival, without actually giving him any help in the actual fighting, then the strength to crush Ranma was still his own. "Very well. I accept."

V--------------V

Deep in China, in Quing Hai province, in the valley of Jusenkyo, several highly-trained warriors were witness to an explosion of power the likes of which had occurred only a few handful of times during the valley's long history. Those who had seen it before, knew instantly what it meant. Saffron, the Phoenix god of Jusendo, had reached maturity and the apex of his potential power. What surprised them was that it had happened this fast; only a few months had passed since his demise at the hands of a mortal, as unlikely as that seemed.

Kiima stared in shock at the bedroom of her lord, watching in silent awe and fear as his aura exploded around him, a red-hot corona of pure, undiluted power so strong even those without training could sense the energy emanating from the Phoenix god. The aura grew, loosing its intensity but spreading out instead, dimming so as not to melt the stone floor, but Kiima could easily spot a scorched circle around where Saffron was standing. He threw back his head and let out an inhuman howl that made the winged woman back up a step in fear.

The sight before her had shaken her deeply. The last time she had raised her lord it had taken him years to reach the stage at which he had fought Ranma, and now he had fully matured and gained control over his elemental energies in less than a year. She knew it couldn't mean anything good, especially knowing that the last time she had checked on Saffron he had still been little more than an infant, and that had been a mere five hours ago.

Whatever had brought upon his transformation, she couldn't help but be awed at the sheer power it must have taken. Yet at the same time, it meant that either Saffron would be needed, or somehow he had gained a source of energy that provided enough for his transformation. Either way it meant they had captured the attention of some powerful entity, and Kiima didn't like the thoughts of that one bit.

Minutes later, the energy storm around the Phoenix settled down, and he took a deep breath, before his eyes settled on his retainer and guard. Kiima almost took a step back at the raw power and emotion she saw in his eyes, the most startling difference from his last incarnation. The Phoenix god's eyes were now a deep silver, tinted with a bright red flame, giving it the appereance of an orb of molten metal. He reigned in his aura, almost unconsciously, and Kiima calmed somewhat.

"Kiima," he began, "Send for the Musk and the Amazons." Shock prevented her from bowing before her lord, and she could only stammer out a single question. "Why?" Saffron smiled, and a shiver ran down her spine. It was a predatory smile, something one would give knowing one's prey was cornered, wounded, and near death. "We shall take what is ours."

Extending his wings, he flapped them experimentally and nodded, before brushing past the captain of the guard. She could feel the residual heat of his aura, yet despite it she felt a chill throughout her body. Something wasn't right.

Not right at all.

V-----------------V

Herb looked over the letter the Phoenix messenger had presented him with. The implication that Saffron was back at full strength and now ever more powerful than when Saotome had faced him did not sit well with the Musk prince, especially since the Musk had never managed to increaser their number significantly. Neither had the amazons, and, Herb hated to admit, if war were to break out in Jusenkyo, the Phoenix were the only tribe who could hope to take on the other two.

He was also at a complete loss just how Saffron had managed to gain full power so quickly, but if he had something at his side that could grant him that much energy, then any attempt to restore the balance of power in the valley by force would only result in the utter annihilation of the Musk. And if the Phoenix truly had such an artifact in their hands, then even the combined forces of the Musk and Joketsuzoku would never be enough to stop any assaults the Phoenix made.

Nodding to Lime and indicating to bring in the messenger, Herb carefully folded the letter and stored it in one of his sleeves. When the winged man walked through the door, Herb once more felt a sense of revulsion overcome him at the sight of the complete arrogance and superiority the Phoenix exuded. "Return to Jusendo," the Musk prince began. "And tell Saffron…" For an instant, Herb's eyes flickered over his two retainers who stood by the doorway, ready to pounce on a moment's notice.

"Tell Saffron that any aggressive move against the Musk or Musk territory will be met…with lethal force." The Phoenix before him looked just about ready to attack the dragon prince, yet the very look Herb shot him as the ruler of the Musk levitated into the air and summoned his battle-aura made him rethink any thoughts of violence. As quickly as he had come, the winged man left and took to the skies.

"Lime, I need you to go to Japan. Go find Saotome, and tell him that we need his help." Settling back down in his throne, Herb removed the letter and incinerated it. "Mint, prepare the warriors. Step up the training and contact the amazons."

V---------------V

The council hall that stood near the center of Joketsuzoku, the ancestral home of the Chinese amazons, was filled with a cacophony of voices. The Phoenix messenger who had just arrived with a letter for the matriarch looked on in amusement as the elder women argued between themselves. The very fact that the matriarch wasn't present for the meeting meant that no concrete decsion could be reached; and the remaining council members were loudly advocating their own way to deal with the contents of the letter.

No decision would be reached here, because, ultimately, all the executive power lay with the matriarch. Lin Se, one of the younger council members, closed her eyes and rested her head against the backrest of her chair. While she was by no means a young woman, at a mere one-hundred seventy-two years she was one of the youngest on the council. And she didn't have the patience to listen to her seniors argue all day long. When she heard a particularly ridiculous proposal to surrender to the Phoenix, she let loose with a massive ki blast to the center of the room, tearing a wide crater into the ground.

Instantly, the room quieted. Glancing at a guard, she indicated for the Phoenix to be led out of the assembly hall and waited until the messenger was gone. "Sisters," she slowly began. "If the Phoenix are as powerful as they now claim to be, then we alone do not stand a chance. We have all felt the energy when Saffron of Jusendo regained his powers, and we agree that alone neither of us could stand before him in battle." The last comment drew some protests, but she quickly silenced them, releasing her battle-aura.

"We need help, and we need the matriarch to make the final choice of whether to fight or surrender. I suggest we send a message to elder Khu Lon, and gather as many allies as we can. We should also ask young Saotome for help." Before she could continue, several of the older women raised their voices in protest. "We do **not** need a male's help!" Brush shouted out, clearly appalled at the idea of having to ask a man to fight with them. "Males know nothing of fighting," Soap agreed.

"But is it not young Saotome, who is the godslayer? Is he not the one who defeated Saffron once, before the very eyes of our children themselves? Xian Pu and Mu Tsu confirmed it themselves, the young man tore him apart with his skill and strength – could any of us hope to do the same?" Lin Se smirked. "Also, a messenger from the Musk arrived, asking us for our assistance. Prince Herb has made it clear that he will resist the Phoenix, to the last man."

V--------------V

When Kiima entered the throne room, she shivered at the energy she felt emanating from it. It wasn't like anything she had ever felt before, not even when her lord had been growing up the last time. The last time she had felt the raw, untamed energy radiating off of him, undirected, and unfocused. It seemed peaceful and hostile at the same time, more like a force of nature than an actual threat. It had felt dangerous in the sense a forest fire was dangerous. Destructive, yes, but not without its purpose in the cycle of life.

What she felt now…was nothing like it. Now, Saffron's power, while ever greater, radiated a sense of malice and underlying evil even she could feel. His aura had turned from neutral fire to becoming a burning inferno of hell. Saffron had ordered the Winged Guard to prepare themselves for combat over the last several days, and she had personally overseen the training of their warriors. Now, she stood in front of the throne room, afraid to walk in. Why, she didn't know.

She only knew something was off about her lord. She also knew that she didn't fully agree with what little she had been told of his plans. An armed conflict in the middle of Jusenkyo, at this point in time, would only draw unwanted attention to them from the outside world and could eventually lead to their total destruction. She also wondered why he seemed to have chosen now to set his plans into motion.

With a deep breath to calm her nerves, she entered the room. Whatever the matter, he was still her lord. He was still their god. When she entered, she knew what to expect. Since his transformation Saffron had spent every waking minute in his throne, surrounded by his aura, in deep meditation. Why, no one knew, but each time she came here she could feel his power grow.

"Lord Saffron," she began, kneeling down before the throne, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence. When he finally did, she looked up only to nearly stumble back in shock. His eyes held a ferocity and hunger she had only seen in wild animals before, and a hint of cruelty tinted the silver orbs. His gaze was cold, uncaring, yet at the same time burning with a fire she couldn't quite understand. It was something that eventually gripped all those with great power – thirst, for power and blood.

Swallowing the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat, Kiima delivered her report. "The troops are ready, Lord Saffron. They have been trained and prepared as you commanded." The Phoenix god nodded in satisfaction. "Very well. We have received our replies from the Musk and amazons. It seems they prefer to shed their blood instead of surrendering." What she saw in his eyes made her shudder. "Prepare the troops to move out in a week. Until I return, I will leave matters to you. When I return, I want them ready to kill every single Musk and amazon who is on our land."

"R-return from where?" Kiima managed to ask. "I am going to settle my score with Saotome," Saffron smirked. It wasn't one she found particularly encouraging. "When I have killed him, we'll wipe out anything that is not Phoenix in Jusenkyo." He returned to his meditation, effectively dismissing her.

As soon as she left the throne room, Kiima fought down the urge to retch. Something was wrong, she now knew. Her lord had never acted like this before, had never been this power-hungry and malicious. She shuddered at the thought of what he wanted to do with the valley. Razing it of all life that was not theirs to control went even beyond her imagination, and she didn't like it one bit. Even thought her loyalty lay with her lord, her own honor as a warrior wouldn't allow her to commit such acts.

_What is happening to Lord Saffron? I-I don't think he's ever spoken about killing the Musk or amazons so callously. I can't let this go on. We can't start a war!_ The Phoenix had clashed with both other tribes in the valley before, but those had been skirmishes when border patrols or hunting groups had met each other. Never had any of their tribes declared active war, and never with the intent of completely driving out the others.

The second thing that disturbed the winged woman was the obvious sense of darkness around her lord. His aura and eyes told her volumes about his mental state. She had nearly shrunk back from the repressed rage she had seen, had nearly bolted when the pure, unadultered evil had shone through his eyes. There was a maliciousness to him she had never known before, and she didn't like it. _If this continues…_she didn't want to consider the implications of the consequences of their actions to come.

V--------------V

"Excuse me, is this the way to Tokyo?" The reply to the question was a shake of a head and an odd stare. "No, kid, this is Okhayama. Tokyo's the other way." Ryoga nodded his thanks and promptly turned around fully, continuing down the path he had been going, completely oblivious of the sigh of the man who he had asked for directions.

The lost boy hadn't found his way back to the Tendo dojo ever since Ranma had left for his training journey, and ever since he hadn't had an outlet for his depressions. Now, he vowed to find his way back and make his pig-tailed rival pay. The little voice in his head had surprisingly told the truth. He hadn't gotten that much more powerful, but its advice had more than made up for it.

Ryoga chuckled evilly. Sometimes the best solutions to a problem were so simple they were too obvious to be grasped. A basic sense of tactics – something that had completely eluded him in his fights so far, mainly because he let his anger take over and cloud his judgement. While it fueled his strength, it made him vulnerable to well-planned attacks. It had provided him with several ideas to use in his upcoming fights. And the more Ryoga thought about them, the more they made sense.

_Control your anger, instead of being controlled by anger_. It had been a hard lesson for the Jusenkyo-cursed boy, learning something akin to the _Soul of Ice_. He still wasn't sure whether he had fully mastered it or not, but then again, Ranma always seemed to bring out the worst in him. If his training had been successful, however, his pig-tailed adversary would find himself in a whole lot of trouble.

_Make your weakness your strength._ He wasn't as fast as Ranma, and he certainly wasn't as agile, especially in mid-air. But in mid-air, without any leverage, blows weren't as strong as on the ground. And while Ryoga could take them, Ranma could not. All he needed was to land a single strike on him.

_Strike the weakest link of the chain._ Ryoga smirked as he recalled that particular lesson. It had taken him a while to figure out what the voice had meant by that, but he had finally understood. In order to make his rival stay in place, in order to be able to completely control his opponent's movements, he needed to control his environment. He needed to control his opponent's reaction to his environment. All he really had to do, was put Ranma in a situation where he couldn't afford to dodge.

He would find his way to Tokyo eventually. He always did.

V--------------V

"Kagura?" He glanced sideways at the woman walking next to him, quickly averting his eyes as she turned around to look at him. "Yes?" It took a few moments for him to form the words in his mouth. He had been curious about her past, especially as she had let of there was more to it than she had told him. And she **had** dropped hints that she was older than she looked, something that he couldn't quite comprehend.

"How old are you?" He blurted out, the carefully formulated question thrown to the wind as the Saotome foot-in-the-mouth disease struck. She gave him a blank look for a moment, before giggling and hiding behind her fan in mock embarassment. "You should know not to ask a lady such a question, Ranma." Said pig-tailed martial artist was on the defensive almost immediately, waving his hands in front of him as an attempt to ward off the wrath that was sure to follow.

When nothing happened after a while, he glanced up to see his travel companion shaking with silent laughter. "Oh my, Ranma. You're…you sure are one of a kind," she managed between laughs. A smile spread across his face. _Huh. I guess I do look rather funny when I do that, don't I?_ "I was just wondering," he began after they had somewhat gotten their mirth under control. "I mean, there's more to you than just what you told me, isn't there?"

She nodded, serious again in an instant. "Yes. But…right now I don't want to talk about it. It's not that I don't trust you with it, but I can't, not now." _Can't tell him I've been having a bad feeling since a couple of days ago. Something's up, and it's making my blood boil._ Ranma nodded slowly. "Listen, the last couple 'a days you've been zoning out a lot. You sure you all right?"

Once more she was left to wonder just how he could go from inquisitive to caring in an instant, but she nodded and smiled. His concern for her felt…nice, for a change. She had been living alone for years, without human contact, so long, it seemed, that she thought she had forgotten her own language. And now, someone was asking her how she felt. It was a welcome change, she mused.

However, it was overshadowed by an ill feeling and a pull on her blood she hadn't felt in centuries of life. She had only experienced this very same sensation on her very being for a few years, but that had been more than enough to make her hate it. It had been the feeling of loosing control, of being at someone else's mercy. Her own captvity, something that drew her to him, despite her will.

_But how? He's been dead for ages! I don't believe he has been resurrected, but if he has…_Shutting those thoughts out of her mind and putting on a small smile for her companion's sake, she continued with him down the dirt trail. "Let's go visit your mother," she suddenly said, trying to divert his attention from herself. "Huh?" She chuckled at his reply. "You did promise your mother to visit, didn't you?" At his nod, she smirked. "You want to visit her now?"

"Eh? Now? Visit Mom?" It took a moment for Ranma's brain to process the information before he agreed happily.

V--------------V

_So, you finally prepared for your task?_ Saffron never opened his eyes, having long grown accustomed to the voice in his head. "Yes," he said to no one in particular. _The Saotome youth who wronged you is back in his home. He has…_Saffron could almost hear a smirk in the voice's tone, _an old acquaintance with him. She is to be left alive; do whatever you wish with whoever gets in the way._ "I understand."

_You are not alone in your fight. Others have the same goal, do not spur their aid. The boy is more powerful than you think. He has grown since your defeat._ "It is no matter. I shall kill him regardless of how strong he is." Saffron opened his eyes, feeling the power surge through his new body. Stretching his wings behind him, he struggled to keep his aura under control. The bright red corona surrounded him, hot enough to melt the stone he was sitting on.

"I will settle the score," the Phoenix swore before he took to the skies.


	22. Chapter 12b: Return to Nerima

Author's Note: Yeah, I'm not dead, guys. Sorry for the long wait, but real life's been catching up with me, exams, homework, y'know, all the good stuff. On the side, blame a friend of mine for getting me hooked on Mobile Suit: Gundam S.E.E.D., so I'm currently reading that, and gasp started working on ANOTHER story. Yep. Official count's now to 5, which (for those who wanna check em out at my website at RavenNet are:

Ranma 1/2: For the Sake of the Art, Ranma/Kagura divergence

Ranma 1/2: The Longest Journey, FtSotA sequel

Inu-Yasha: The Long and Winding Road

Gundam S.E.E.D.: Requiem

and an original sci-fi piece called Zero Star.

Geez...I guess I should focus on one till I'm done with it, ne? Problem is, I can't get 'em out of my head till I wrote at least something down...yah...anyways...I'll try and post more often. I'll also put the beta versions of those up on my website, if anyone wants to come and beta-read 'em, just drop me a message here having your input on those.

Ok, I've ranted enough. On with the story!

Chapter Twelve: Return to Nerima

When she opened the door, the last thing Saotome Nodoka expected to see was her son. When she realized he was standing before her in the flesh, she threw her arms around his neck and would have spun him around – if he weren't taller than she was. As it was, it was him who spun her in a circle, before setting her back down. She smiled at the young man he had grown into, and could see a peace in his eyes that hadn't been there when he had left months earlier.

Then she noticed the young woman accompanying her son, and a plan formed. Carefully letting go of her son, she took a deep breath and schooled her expression. Then…

"My son is so **manly**!" She went starry-eyed, with an air of ditziness around her that didn't quite seem to fit her, an admittedly goofy look on her face. "I'm going to be a grandmother! Oh my manly son!" She allowed the shock to sink in for a few moments, before dropping the act and grinning widely. "Fooled you, didn't I?" Ranma almost fell over in shock at his mother's antics, but Kagura's laughter proved infectious. And when he started laughing and looked at his mother, who held the patented "ditzy-oblivious-to-everything-mother-of-doom" look a moment longer, before joining them, he did fall over.

"Are we interrupting something?" Ranma managed to half-turn and blink away the tears of laughter to notice a pair of shoes before him. Trailing up, he took in dark green pants and shirt on one of their visitors and a business suit of the same color on the other. "Ryoko! Haven't seen ya the longest time!" Said martial artist gave a small smile in response, while Setsuna waved. "Hello, Ranma. It is good to see you again."

Nodoka had recovered from her mirth and recognized her guests. "Oh, Ryoko-kun! It's nice to meet you again. And who's the lady with you?" The Meiou siblings offered a bow in greeting before Ryoko introduced, "Good afternoon, Saotome-san. This is my sister Setsuna. We felt a rather large ki signature returning to town, and wanted to say hello to Ranma." "Hello to Ranma," Setsuna chipped in, earning her odd looks from all those present, before Ranma broke into laughter again.

Nodoka managed to keep herself under enough control to actually lead all of them inside. Once everyone was settled and tea had been served, it was Ranma's turn to introduce his companion. "Mom, Ryoko, Setsuna-sensei, this is Kagura…uh…ya got a last name?" Said woman colored bright red for a moment as her thoughts raced. She hadn't had a last name for a long time. "I…haven't claimed a clan since…" she trailed off since she didn't exactly recall just when she had begun her self-imposed exile. "A very long time," she finally completed.

The Saotome matriarch's eyebrow rose at that. She hadn't quite directly stated she was ronin, but she might as well have. Her visitor's next statement, however, calmed her fears somewhat. "I haven't found myself worthy to claim a family name, not since I avenged my family," Kagura told her. Ryoko just eyed the woman warily, while Setsuna leaned back, taking a backseat as Ranma began his account of the last several months.

V-----------------V

It had been a good several hours before the tale wound down, and as tired as he was, Ranma still caught the gleam in his mother's eyes. "No, Mom! She ain't a fianceé!" He suddenly turned a suspicious eye on his travel companion. "Or did you ever meet someone named Saotome Genma?" To his relief, Kagura merely shook her head. "Good. If you had I woulda made a panda-rug outta oyaji." "Really? You'll have to tell me about it sometime," she chuckled in amusement. He hadn't really been forthcoming with the details of his life, but then again, neither had she.

"So, Kagura-san, where are you from?" Ryoko finally asked. The raven-haired woman turned to regard him with her red eyes, which seemed to glow for a moment as she assessed him. Then she shrugged and leaned back. "It's not a particularly interesting story. Not a very pretty one, either." She arched an eyebrow at Ranma, who was looking at her with what bordered on a pout and shiny eyes, and giggled. "Oh, fine. You told me your story, guess it's only fair if I tell you mine."

For a moment she debated just how much to tell them, especially since she didn't know just how much she could trust the pig-tailed martial artist's friends, then decided on the short version. "I was born in Hokkaido. It's a frozen land, with not much for farmers to live off. Still, we managed to live pretty decently, my parents, my sister, and I. Since it's hard to live off the land, agriculture is sparse, and living just off the land is nearly impossible. For that reason, as you most likely know, there was a lot of bandit activity there during the years after the last World War."

All around the table nodded, and she continued. "Well, the country had been hit hard economically, and much surrounding Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka had been shut down by the occuppation forces. So, it was the out-of-the-way places far from the capitols and commerce centers that actually provided the food. Many had turned ronin during that time, either for crimes during the war, or because there was nothing left for them. As such, there were quite a lot of ronin who were looking for ways to feed themselves." She took a moment to unclench her fist, and settled back again, trying to relax through the story.

"Especially in Hokkaido, raids on farms weren't uncommon. Since you couldn't live off the land, you just lived off the farmers who, in turn, barely lived off it. One day, it was our turn, it seems. They came by the dozens, maybe fifty men in all, and took what little we had. They looked horrible, worn and meager, thin as skeletons." Kagura shuddered at the memory. "They took everything we had, leaving nothing behind. There wasn't much we could do to prevent them. They were fifty, we were three. My sister was four at the time. Our family blade had long been lost in the war, and we didn't have much to defend ourselves with. After they were done taking what food we had, they…"

Pausing for a moment, Kagura managed a weak smile at her audience. "They demanded we hand out our money. We tried to fight back, and they killed everyone. Mother, father, sister…I swore revenge that day. I should have died along with them, but I did not. They left me for dead in the burned remains of our home. When I woke up again, it was cold, and silent. I was sitting in the middle of a ruin of a house, the blackened remains of my family around me. Part of me died that day." She shrugged off the sympathethic glanced from the other occupants in the room.

"I found myself wandering, without purpose or destination, when I reached a Buddhist temple. It wasn't anything special, just a small shrine that had been erected during the Meiji era, but I learned the fighting arts from its master." A hint of amusement found its way into her voice as she recalled the memories. "Turns out that the founder of the temple originally was a fallen priest who had turned off the path of Buddha because of something similar, and tried to create an art strong enough to crush injustice. Seems he was brought back on the right path after he failed and met the right opponent, and built the temple afterwards." Kagura took a sip of tea before continuing.

"I trained there. Learned how to fight. I hated those who had slaughtered my family, those ronin who had murdered so many to feed themselves because they could not do it themselves. I wanted to destroy those who would wrong others for their selfish goals. It was noble, in a way, I suppose," she chuckled, "I stayed at the temple for a couple of years, before I figured I should do something with my life. I began hunting those men, chasing them whereever they went. Went to Kyoto, to Osaka, and back to Hokkaido. When I caught up with them, it was near the temple I had stayed in. I arrived just as they had started to burn it to the ground."

Nodoka let out a startled gasp, while the rest of the people listened attentively. Kagura's eyes had hardened, the fire in them gone, replaced by a coldness that seemed to permeat the room. "I took them down. Hard. Fast. Killed them to the last man. They were the ones who had killed my family, and were about to kill even more innocent people. But that didn't even enter my mind back then. All I felt was a seething hatred, rage, anger…They who had destroyed my life were now in my sight. It was the moment I had dedicated my life to. Revenge. I killed each and every one of them. Most never knew what hit them, but some did. None of them recognized me."

She chuckled darkly. "Didn't do it fast enough to save the temple. All that remained were burned ashes and embers. Everyone inside dead. It took me a while to realize it, but after a couple of days or so it settled in; the fact that I had just taken down fifty men before any of them could react to my presence, or defend themselves. I had lost my focus, had forgotten that I had wanted revenge from them, and had let my anger guide me. After that, I had nothing more to live for. The culprits were dead, I had avenged my family. My second family in the temple was dead, and the only thing they had left me, the only thing I had come to enjoy, my Art, was the only thing I had left. And not even that I could keep. If I ever let anything drive me into a rage again, if I ever lost my control again, then I could lash out and kill dozens of people in the blink of an eye." A sad smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"During my travels I had seen Japan grow again. Law was enforced again, order was being restored. Warriors and vigilantes like myself weren't needed anymore. Those who lived only for honor, those who only had honor left, were dying out. So, I dropped my family name and moved away from other people. I still practiced my art, but I haven't drawn against a human being ever since, and I never intend to again." When she finished, a dead silence greeted her, and for a moment she had the fleeting suspicion she had put them all to sleep with her long-winded story.

"So that's why you're so reluctant to practice around people again," Ranma muttered, earning him a nod in reply. Glancing over to the older martial artist in the room and his sister, and their neutral expressions, Ranma decided not to worry too much about it. "So, Kagura-san," Nodoka finally said, "What made you accompany my son?" Said woman shrugged. "We met in the woods, as he told you, and told me some things that made me think. His view of the world might not necessary match mine, but it made me reconsider some of my decisions." Taking a sip of her tea, she continued.

"He told me the first rule all martial artists follow. 'A martial artist lives to protect those who cannot protect themselves.' I realized that somewhere along the line I had lost sight of that goal. I had let my fear and regrets prevent me from doing my duty as a martial artist. Ranma here says he practices the Art because he enjoys it. I can sense enough skill and power in him to easily level a city block, yet somehow, he isn't afraid that he'll take lives with it."

The pig-tailed martial artist nodded. "If you truly love your art, then you will keep on training, because it's what makes ya feel alive. If you grow strong, you'll learn control, as well. The discipline to keep yourself comes along with the training automatically. And if it doesn't, and you're truly dedicated, then you'll train to achieve that control, simply because you won't let anything slander your Art." He shrugged noncommitally. "Something like that."

"My, son, I never knew you were a philosopher!" Nodoka grinned, drawing a confused look from her son. "Huh? What's a philotoper?"

When the inhabitants of the room had calmed down from their bout of laughter, Kagura picked up where she had left off. "What he said. It struck me that if I had held onto my art all this time, then maybe I would be able to help people again. And you never know till you try." With a smirk at the Saotome youth, she added, "You have quite an impressive son, Saotome-san."

Nodoka's reaction set off another gale of laughter as she nodded vehemently, playfully leering at her son. "Tho' it seems the women around him enjoy him even more than I do." At her last statement, Ranma turned red, and the two other women in the room were caught in a cross between a glare and a smirk.

A knock at the door cut off any further reply to that topic, effectively saving the pig-tailed boy from more embarassment. "Who are you?" Nodoka's surprised voice carried through the corridor into the living room, as did the reply. "Boobs!" The result was a dead silence, followed by a mighty slap. At the outburst Ranma had leapt to his feet, recognizing the voice. _That's Lime! What's he doing here?_

Skidding to a halt from his run through the hallway, he noticed that it, indeed, was the Musk retainer. "What do you want, Lime?" he asked, chuckling at his mother's death glare. Any other person would have shrunk back into themselves at the look Saotome Nodoka was leveling at him, but Lime – much like his partner Mint – seemed impervious to it. Then again, those two took some getting used to, Ranma admitted to himself.

"And where's Mint?" he added. The Musk had apparently shaken himself out of his fixation with his mother's breasts and turned his attention to the pig-tailed boy. "Prince Herb sends his regards, and asks you for your assistance," he began. "Assistance? What happened now?" Lime's mood darkened visibly. "The Phoenix are on the warpath. Saffron has been restored to full power, and they are preparing to take over the rest of the valley."

Ranma stood in shocked silence for a moment, the words the Musk had spoken taking a moment to sink in. A shudder ran through the pig-tailed martial artist. _I knew Saffron wasn't fully matured the last time I fought him, and now he's at full ower again? How did that happen? I thought Kiima said it would take years for him to come of age again!_ "How is that possible? I left him as an egg!" Lime shrugged as he replied, "I don't know. No one really knows, but Prince Herb felt a large surge of energy several days ago, and we think that has something to do with it."

Nodoka caught her son's scared look and recognized it for what it was. _Oh my son…why does trouble always find you like this?_ She had heard of his battle with the Phoenix god, and he had told her that it had been his most challenging fight to date; a fight that, he himself had admitted, he had thought was impossible to win. "What about the amazons?" Ranma asked.

"We sent an envoy to them, but I don't know if they have replied yet. We think they contacted their matriarch here, so you could ask her." The Musk warrior seemed a little uncomfortable at the mention of the warrior women.

"Let's go, then!" Before either could comment, the pig-tailed martial artist had taken off through the door and was bolting towards Nerima, leaving Nodoka and Lime behind to stare at the dust cloud he had raised with his passage. "I think we should follow them. I'll contact Urd and ask her what's going on with Saffron, since I doubt that any power source strong enough to return Saffron to maturity and full power was anything he came by naturally. Setsuna, can you get them to the Neko Hanten?"

The Senshi of time nodded and transformed, while Nodoka and Lime agreed to head to the amazon restaurant.

V-----------------V

The phone in the temple rang for the third time before Urd got upset with it. Neither Belldandy nor Skuld were at home, both of her sisters having left, Belldandy for her date with the ever-shy Keiichi, while Skuld had said something about a tech-convention. Giving up on having her peace while watching TV, the silver-haired goddess moved to the hall and picked up the receiver. "Yeah?" she grumbled.

"Urd?" The voice on the other end sounded rather urgent. "What is it, Ryoko?"

"There's been a power discharge in Jusendo the last week. Know anything about it?" Urd shook her head as she replied. "Nope. Why you asking? Something going on over in China?"

The voice on the other end sounded wry. "You could say that. The Phoenix in Jusenkyo Valley have just declared war on the world, and their king Saffron has just completed ascension." Urd scrunched her brow as she attempted to fit the information with her memory. "So? Hey, wait! Didn't that Ranma boy force Saffron to reincarnate?"

"Yeah. That's the problem. Something or someone provided him with enough energy to bypass decades of growth, and restore him to full power. We've got to know what happened over there, I don't think any of their mages has enough knowledge to provide that kind of spell." Nodding, Urd reached over to grab a notepad. "I agree. Something's fishy. I'll look into it."

"Ask Mara, too. It might not be restricted to Asgard." Urd nodded. "'Kay. Bell and the brat are out, I'll leave them a note then check up on the matter."

"Good. If you can, try to meet us at the Neko Hanten in Nerima. Ranma just received a message from the Musk, asking him for help. I think the situation with the amazons will be similar. And, Kami-sama knows, they'll need the help if Saffron is back the way he used to be."

Urd was forced to agree as she hung up the receiver and opened a portal to Asgard.

V-----------------V

Cologne looked up when the distinct sound of ceramic breaking and liquid splashing on the ground broke the cacophony of noise of the lunch rush. The ancient matriarch of the Joketsuzoku nearly fell off her staff in laughter at the sight that presented itself to her; Saotome Ranma, one of the best martial artists in his generation stood in the door of the Neko Hanten, covered in ramen noodles and dripping hot broth. He leveled a glare at her as he wiped at the noodles hanging from his nose.

"You always greet customers like that, old ghoul?" Said "old ghoul" quickly hopped over and thumped Ranma over the head with her cane as she called out to her great granddaughter to take over the kitchen. Finally taking her time to assess the pig-tailed boy's companions, she narrowed her eyes at the sight of the Musk that had tagged along. Ranma noticed her wary look and waved a placating hand before her. "It's all right, he's with me. And you might wanna hear what he's gotta say, 'cause if it's true then fighting him will be the least of our problems."

Nodding, Cologne led them into the back room of the restaurant. The dimly lit room usually served as storage chamber for whatever goods had to be on hand quickly yet could not be fit into the fridge or racks in the main kitchen. Dusty boxes littered the ground and had been stacked up along the walls. A single window provided light from the outside, and a single lightbulb hung from a wire on the ceiling.

Once everyone had settled, Cologne asked once more, "So, why have you come here, Ranma?" He arched an eyebrow at that. "Why aren't you calling me son-in-law anymore, anyway? I haven't heard you call me that since…before I left, I think." The elder amazon shrugged, a gesture that would have been lost on the casual observer. "It may not be obvious to Shampoo, but I know that you will most likely not marry her. I would have loved to have you in the family, and you could have made a great difference in the tribe, but we might as well have driven you away with our actions, I can see that now."

Cologne hopped down from her cane and laid it across her lap as she peered intently into Ranma's eyes. "I hope you forgive a foolish old woman all the trouble she has put you through. I failed to see your potential, and was blinded by our outdated beliefs that you were inferior. Your battle with Saffron proved me wrong. You have grown more than any warrior I have ever met – male or female – and surpassed challenges everyone believed impossible. You held on to your honor despite all of your father's actions, and you have earned my respect, for what it's worth." Ranma was surprised that she had come out with all that, considering the fact that he was, after all, just a male. For an amazon that meant the violation of one of their most revered – and most antiquated, he mentally added – beliefs. It was practically the foundation of their society.

"Shortly before you left on your quest," she continued, not at all disturbed that others had heard her declaration, "I contacted the council and asked to dissolve both the kiss of marriage and the kiss of death. I also asked for permission to ask you to join the tribe either as you are, or as an independent ally." Cologne gave him a wry smile. "They weren't exactly forthcoming with an answer. You know, you could have changed our society, and for the better, I believe. You are independent and strong, a combination that would earn you much respect and admiration in the village. The young would easily follow your example, and you could have made it onto the council easily. You could have changed our ways, could have made the others realize that being male doesn't necessary mean being weak or inferior." The expression on her face somewhat shocked the pig-tailed martial artist. Out of all things, he would never have expected to see her express nostalgia and regret that openly.

"And I like you, Ranma." Everyone blinked in silence at that statement, as Cologne attempted to flutter her eyelids. It looked definitely creepy, everyone else agreed silently, before the elderly woman chuckled. "Not that way, Ranma. Really, you shouldn't be so suspicious." It slowly dawned on the Saotome youth what he – and everyone else – had been thinking she had been implying, and gagged.

Cologne chuckled once more, as everyone else broke out into laughter. "I have come to like you as the son I never had. You are strong, proud, and honorable. Everything a mother could wish for; and a part of me had hoped that I could somehow fill that role for you while you were still looking for your true mother."

Ranma sat in silence for a few moments, contemplating her words. He realized he did, in fact, have fond memories of the amazons…if you overlooked the poisons, potions, tricks, charms, spells, magical artifacts, alleged cures, and half-witted seduction attempts. But they had always been there, always been willing to help when he was in a bind – the _Hiryuu Shôten Hâ_ training came to mind. They had had nothing to gain from it – in fact, once he regained his strength the usual suitors would have continued pursuing once more – but had gone through with it anyway.

Shrugging, Ranma set aside the memories. "Ya know, if ya want, you can still call me 'son-in-law.' Just don't tell anyone I said so." The smile in her eyes let him know it had been the right decision, as she nodded. "Thank you for letting an old woman keep her dreams." Then, the moment was over, and they were back to business.

"What does bring you here? I do not think your training is complete yet." Lime raised a hand. "I can answer that!" He was rather coherent, since the only women in the room were Nodoka, Cologne, and Setsuna. And after his initial encounter with Nodoka, he had received a rather scary warning – backed with glowing eyes and battle-aura – to stay away from his mother. He had also been acquainted with Sailor Pluto's _Dead Scream_ upon attempting to make a pass at her.

As for Cologne…three hundred years weren't exactly forthcoming to a female's body. So, Lime was in complete control and completely coherent. "Several days ago Prince Herb received a messenger from Jusendo. In it he was asked to surrender the Musk Citadel and remove any and all Musk from Jusenkyo Valley, or face the Phoenix people in war. I was sent here to ask Ranma for help."

Cologne nodded sagely as she considered his words. "Indeed. I have just received a letter from the council to the same effect. It seems that Saffron has found a way to restore himself. He is now fully matured and in complete control over his elemental abilities…and more dangerous than ever." She looked at the pig-tailed martial artist. "The council – if reluctantly in some cases – asks you for your assistance, as well." She smirked. "They may not like it, but they do have to acknowledge the fact that you were the only mortal in our three-thousand year history who ever defeated Saffron. And a male, to boot."

Turning to Lime, she shrugged, as she offered, "As for the Musk, the council letter said they were still debating whether to join an alliance with your people. Ultimately, I believe they will, because it's the best chance we have to survive what Saffron is going to bring upon us."

Raising her hand, Kagura asked, "Who exactly is this Saffron, and why would he do such a thing?" "Saffron is an immortal Phoenix, an extremely powerful fire elemental who claims to have made it into the lower ranks of the kami. And just judging from his power, he might as well have. He has most likely been corrupted by something, as his natural growth process takes years, even decades to finish; he, however, jumped straight to adulthood with the aid of some means unknown. Because of this, he hasn't learned temperance and control, or wisdom. The only things driving him are the lust for power and revenge that he died with," the elder amazon answered.

While they were talking, Ryoko and Setsuna shared a glance. "What do you think?" he asked. "I don't know. This wasn't supposed to happen. The time gate didn't show anything like that. From now on there weren't supposed to be any major battles, and I think this would count as one." The time Senshi frowned. "I'll have to check the gates, but for some reason my personal precognition is a little fuzzy on the details. I have no idea what effect this will have on the timeline, until I check with the gates."

He felt his sister's hand on his arm. "The Senshi can't handle Saffron," she choked out. "He was beyond our fighting abilities when Ranma fought him the first time, now he's even stronger. If we don't stop him, then…"

She was interrupted when the door opened and Shampoo walked in, Urd in tow. "Too too old woman here say looking for Ryoko?" The bubbly amazon ignored the sharp glare the goddess leveled at her as Ryoko waved them over. "Thank you, Shampoo. Now please go tend the restaurant again," Cologne told her great-granddaughter, who took one look around the room, obviously unhappy with the fact that so many attractive women were in the same room as Ranma. "Okay, Shampoo go cook again. Lunch almost over, Hiba-chan."

When she was gone, all eyes were riveted on the silver-haired woman in their midst. "Good news, bad news time," she quipped, producing a folder from the folds of her robe. "I talked to Mara, who talked to Hild. There hasn't been any unusual activity from Asgard, so we figured it had to originate somewhere in Niflheim. Turns out that the spelltrap they locked Firkraag into was already occupied. Firkraag was pretty new to it, but the guy inside was pretty old. They found a way to use instabilities in the spell to reach out and influence certain people…including Saffron. We think the second person in the spelltrap exhausted his energy to provide Saffron with his growth spurt. It's being fixed, and the seals have been tripled," Urd growled.

"So…what's the good news?" Ranma asked. At least now they knew the source of the problem. "That** was** the good news. Bad news is, Saffron and another, rather significant, energy signature are heading towards Japan. More specifically, Nerima. They're after you, Ranma."

The pig-tailed martial artist fell silent, as everyone in the room cast sympatethic glances at him; the exception being his mother. Nodoka was caught between outrageous fury and deep fear for her son's safety. Urd finally noticed Kagura's presence, and her eyes widened. "What are you doing here!" The goddess leapt up, bringing up her barrier spells and priming a lightning bolt with her free hand as she traced spell patterns in the air before her.

Everyone had turned to look at the two women. "What do you mean?" Ranma asked, staring at the pair of them. Kagura hadn't made a move to guard herself, while Urd had brought up all her defenses, and looked about ready to start throwing out offensive spells. "She's a demon child," the goddess hissed in anger, "She has the same signature as the guy locked in the spelltrap!"

END of Arc Two: Mastery


	23. Chapter 13b: The Weakest Link

Author's Notes: Yeah, I'm back! I didn't die, just had a whole lot to do in real life, what with school and exams and all. I'll hopefully be updating a lot more this coming week, since I've got the week off, but that all depends on how quickly I can write. At the moment I'm working more on "The Longest Journey," the sequel to FtSotA, but I'll keep updating here - after all, I finish what I start. For those of you who want to skip ahead on both stories, there's unbeta-ed versions of the next chapters on my website.

Okay, that was enough of a rant. Enjoy!

Arc Three: Unholy Alliance

Chapter Thirteen: The Weakest Link

Kagura's eye shot wide open as the accusation hit home. _She's sensitive to something that small? Not even Ranma picked up on it, and his ability to read auras is impressive. That means she must be…_"You're a kami, aren't you? Either that or a youkai." She smiled slightly, crookedly, as she stood from her perch on a box.

Urd's gaze flickered from the woman before her to the rest of the occupants of the room, taking in their questioning looks. "I'm a kami, all right. Goddess, second class, category one, limited. Now give me one good reason why I shouldn't flash-fry you where you stand!" "What's going on?" Ranma asked, as neither of them had graced the rest of them with an explanation.

"She's the child of the demon who gave Saffron back his power," Urd ground out. "It's very faint, but the trace is there in her energy pattern. She's a demon. Not one like Mara, but more like a youkai. A powerful elemental in human form." Everyone's eyes wandered over to Kagura, several hands reaching for weapons. "Kagura?" Ranma asked, his eyes bolted on the woman who had travelled with him for weeks.

The pig-tailed martial artist scanned her aura again, noticing nothing amiss until he hit a blind spot. An anomaly, where the heart should have been. He compared it to what he had sensed when reading the goddess's aura. Urd had a similar anomaly, only with her it was much more pronounced, a vibrant overflowing of life-force that bordered on the unnatural; it was the source of her power as a kami, of her immortality, and divinity. With Kagura it wasn't there unless you knew what to look for.

The woman in question looked over at him, seeing the question in his eyes. She raised her empty hands, and smiled sadly. "You can lower your wards…I'm not going to harm anyone." When Urd didn't, she shrugged. "Fine. I suppose I do owe you an explanation, Ranma. I'm actually over five hundred years old. I was born back in what you call the Sengoku Jidai, the era of the warring states, sometime in the fifteen-hundreds. Back then there was a very powerful jewel in existence, that could grant any wish and desire; hence, many looked for it, and, upon finding it, attempted to kill its guardian."

She had sat back down, almost completely unperturbed by the crackling on raw energy that came from Urd not five feet away. "The youkai I was born from was called Naraku. He wasn't a pure demon by himself. He used to be a human who was corrupted by his desire for both the jewel and its guardian – she was rather beautiful." She chuckled at the memory. "Her reincarnation and some half-demon friend of hers fought for it, as well, and split the thing into a thousand pieces. It became a race to see who'd get them all first. I was spawned from Naraku to fight them, but I never liked the guy. He did, however, control my mortal heart, and consequences for disobeying him weren't pretty."

Urd had dispelled her attack spells for the moment, apparently checking with Yggdrasil to verify the woman's story. Kagura ignored her. "When he finally died, I was freed from him, and decided to try and live a normal life, for once. As normal as it can get when you're immortal, anyway. The rest of what I told you before is true, excepting the ages." By the time she finished, Urd retuned her attention to her. "She's telling the truth," she admitted.

Kagura shrugged. "When I felt Naraku's presence the other day, I thought I was imagining it. Now, it seems, he was locked away and banished instead of killed by the attack." When her eyes met Ranma's, the Saotome youth was surprised to find sorrow and sadness in them, almost as if…_She's expecting people to turn away from her. Of course, she's lived so long in reclusion from everyone else because of her art, and now we find out something even darker about her past._

"So?" Ranma smirked. "The guy's gone and gone for good, this time. We can deal with Saffron, right?" He just wished he felt as confident as his words sounded. Her dark red eyes bored into his, before she smiled slightly, moving on to the others in the room. Cologne met her with an indifferent gaze and a shrug, Ryoko and Setsuna arched an eyebrow, the unspoken question of whether she could be trusted clearly written in their eyes. She answered in the same kind, seeing the two of them nod at her. Nodoka seemed a bit wary, but smiled when she realized she had been travelling with Ranma for several weeks now.

Urd's glare softened somewhat. "Listen," the goddess began, "Oh, to hell with it. I'll take a page out of Bell's book. Join the club."

"So, what do we do now?" Ryoko asked, "We've got the situation in Jusenkyo to deal with, we've got to talk to both the amazons and the Musk – Ranma does, at least – and you've got to decide what to do about this." Ranma cocked his head, glancing around the room. "I'll go to Jusenkyo. It's a martial artist's duty to protect others, after all. And I'm not gonna let Saffron get away again."

"I'm coming with you," Kagura announced. "I owe you quite a bit; besides, you do have a point. It's my duty as a martial artist to help others." Ryoko nodded. "I'm coming, as well. I've got some ki exercises and training for you to do, Ranma."

"I'm going with you, Ranma. I let you out of sight for ten years, not anymore. I'll follow whereever you chose to go, son, and I will help you as best as I can." Nodoka smiled at her son, hugging him close to her and causing Ranma to blush beet red. Cologne hopped onto her cane. "I'll tell Shampoo and Mousse to pack."

Setsuna glanced at her brother, whispering, "I'll go check on the gates, then see if I can round the Senshi up. If my personal precognition is correct you'll need all the help you can get over there." He nodded in mute agreement, before turning to Urd. "Anything you can do?"

The silver-haired woman smirked. "Other than come along and knock some sense into them, I'll try to see what I can do via the Ultimate Force. It's not supposed to be used for something like this, but I think we can rig something. We can't drain Saffron's power, though, or alter the events. The kami can't even take a side, because then demons would take the other, and we'd end up destroying the world. So sending in an army of Valkyries is a big no-no."

He opened his mouth to reply, but the sound of a door slamming made them all look up to see Shampoo trying to calm a frantic Nabiki. "Saotome! Saotome!" The usually calm and collected girl looked dishevelled and exhausted from what was obviously a dead run, and she had a panic in her eyes Ranma had never seen before. "Mercenary girl calm down! Not make scene in restaurant!"

"Let me go! I gotta talk to Saotome! Ranma!" She struggled futilely against the stronger amazon even as she continued to shout. "Ranma! Ryoga's at the dojo, and he's out for blood! He's looking for you, and Kasumi and Akane are still there!" A little of the familiar icyness returned to her voice as she quite obviously fought for control over her emotions.

"What!" Ranma was at the door in an instant, having displaced Shampoo and standing right in front of a startled Nabiki. "Did you just say what I think you said?" He growled, and for the first time, Nabiki was scared at the look in the pig-tailed martial artist's eyes. It was cold, calculating, lethal; it promised pain to whoever dared cross him. She nodded weakly, the only reaction she managed before he bolted out of the restaurant and into the streets.

"Damn him! He could have waited," Ryoko swore. "Nodoka-san, I assume you want to come?" Ranma's mother nodded, and he crouched down. "Hop on. This is faster than running." Warily, the kimono-clad woman climbed onto the martial artist's shoulder and they, too, were off. Setsuna teleported out of the room, while Cologne, Kagura, Urd, and Shampoo took off at a dead run.

V---------------------V

He had expected a battlefield, torn up ground and bloodstains in the worst case. Accordingly, Ranma came to a halt from his run battle aura blazing, his ki crackling around him ready to be discharged at a moment's notice. The need for it never came; the dojo looked the same as it always did, but he could sense Ryoga's aura inside. He involuntarily shuddered at the darkness that seemed to radiate off the lost boy, and couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him.

He opened the shoji door and entered, making his way towards the backyard. Kasumi and Akane were sitting on the porch, watching as Ryoga ran through his kata, his back turned towards them. Ranma's anger all but evaporated, and it seemed, unlikely as it was, that Nabiki had lied about the situation. That was when Ryoga turned around, and Ranma shuddered at the look in his rival's eyes. The lost boy's green eyes were focused, pupils narrowed into pinpricks, and he could feel the sheer maliciousness wafting off of him.

"You shouldn't let your guard down, Ranma. Else **this** happens." With surprising speed, the lost boy surged forward, aiming a vicious uppercut at Ranma. The pig-tailed martial artist turned sideways, slamming his knee into Ryoga's ribcage as he passed before spinning around and axe-kicking the lost boy into the ground. "I'm never off guard," Ranma hissed, his aura flickering to life again. "What happened to you, Ryoga?"

The Hibiki boy smirked, baring his fangs. "I sorted some things out. And I found out how to finally kill you! _Bakusai Tenketsu_!" Ranma leapt backwards as the ground he had been standing on a moment before exploded. Flipping through the air, he impacted the wall with his feet and sprung himself back at his opponent. "_Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-Ken_!"

The attack battered Ryoga backwards, forcing him to give ground or be caught in the full attack. Ranma lashed out with a snap-kick as he wound down, only to have his leg grabbed; the pig-tailed boy found himself facing the ground as his body was wrenched around courtesy of the hammerlock Ryoga had on his ankle. He barely managed to turn away to avoid the axe kick that came down on him, clipping his shoulder instead of hitting his spine.

Ranma dropped to the ground and rolled backwards, away from the stomp that had been aimed to crush his leg, and came up in a defensive stance.When Ryoga charged at him again, he flipped over his opponent's headlong rush, but was caught unprepared for the spinning backfist that slammed him into the outer wall. He dropped into the pond as he slid down the wall, transforming into a girl as the curse took effect.

It saved his life as an instant later, Ryoga cracked the wall with a kick that passed a mere inch above the redhead's head. _Dammit! Nabiki was right, he does mean business this time! I don't think I can afford to hold back too much._ Kicking off from the ground, Ranma shoulder-rammed the lost boy, carrying him across the yard.

V---------------------V

Akane and Kasumi could only stare at the fight that had begun before their very eyes, a fight so very different from what they were used to from those two. While the battles between Ranma and Ryoga always had been dangerous and involved a lot of property damage, this time they could clearly see the vicious crippling moves either boy sought to connect. At the very beginning of the fight, Akane had nearly risen to her feet, mallet in hand and her reflexive "Ranma, stop picking on Ryoga!" on her lips.

Those words had never been uttered as the lost boy struck out at an unprepared Ranma, without so much as a warning. The youngest Tendo girl watched in surprise as the fight continued to develop, her mind working in overdrive to process what had just happened. She couldn't believe the fact that Ryoga, the boy she had seen as the paragon of kindness and friendliness – next to Kasumi – had struck first, intending to cripple his opponent, without even so much as a reason. This time she drew the right conclusion from her observations; Ranma was not at fault here.

And as the two continued to battle, she prayed for the safety of both.

Kasumi looked on in stunned silence. She had always believed there had been a tentative friendship between those two young men, something that had kept their rivalry from turning into a blood feud. She had always seen Ranma make an attempt to reconcile with the lost boy; and she knew how much those rare few he could call 'friend' meant to him. And she knew how much fighting this battle had to hurt the pig-tailed youth, as she recognized, despite her limited martial arts training, that the lost boy had been intending to cripple or kill his opponent from the very beginning.

Ranma seemed to realize it, too, and seemed to release the holds he had placed upon himself. The fight was turning serious, and for one of the few times in her life, Tendo Kasumi felt a measure of anger well up within her.

V---------------------V

"Ryoga, what's wrong with you this time? I didn't even do anything!" Ranma ducked under a snap-kick, responding with a sweep that his opponent hopped over. "You haven't died yet!" The lost boy yelled back, aiming a stiffened finger blow at the pig-tailed boy's throat. Barely managing to turn away, the strike managed to gouge a deep wound into the side of Ranma's neck. Clutching the bleeding, the Saotome youth glared at his former friend and rival.

"Last chance, pig-boy. Back off now. You're starting to piss me off." His reply was a feral snarl and another headlong charge. Sighing and shaking his head sadly, Ranma took a defensive stance, his sword appearing in his left hand with a flick of his wrist. His breathing evened out, and his right hand slowly touched the hilt of the sword. Time seemed to slow down as Ryoga approached, his warcry drawn out into a long, inarticulate yell, face contorted into a grimace filled with hate.

With a quiet rasp of metal against wood, time sped up again. Ryoga's charge stopped dead in his tracks as the flash of silver metal that was the sakabato in Ranma's hands passed by his torso. A moment later, the momentum of the strike caught up with the lost boy, throwing him back against the outer wall. Sheathing the sword, Ranma put it away into subspace again, and carefully eyed the prone form of the lost boy.

A choked laughter shook the body, and Ryoga stood back up, albeit shakily. "Not bad. For a girl," the fanged boy smirked. "Now, Ranma, prepare to die!" Planting his feet against the ground, his deep green aura exploding around him, Ryoga put his hands forward. The ki drained from the lost boy's aura into his extended hands. "_Shishi Hôkôdan_," he whispered.

About to leap out of the way, Ranma shot a glance backwards at the shocked gasp from behind him, and swore. Bracing himself and crossing his arms before him, he focused his aura in front of him to blunt the impact. The blast nearly threw the pig-tailed boy off his feet, and he could feel the heat of the energy that had been thrown at him. When it subsided, he was breathing hard, and smoke was wafting from his clothes. The dust settled, revealing an angry Ranma.

"What the hell, Ryoga! You coulda hit Akane and Kasumi! Watch where you're aiming, you moron!" The lost boy just grinned and charged another blast. "Heh. I am watching what I'm shooting at. Now prepare yourself!" It dawned on Ranma what his opponent was doing. _Kuso. He's using them to keep me from dodging. If I move, he's gonna hit them. And they can't run fast enough to dodge his attacks. There's got to be something I can do; I can't keep taking Shishi Hôkôdans like that!_

Summoning his own aura, the pig-tailed martial artist countered with a ki-blast of his own. "_Môkô Takabishâ_!" The blue and green rays cancelled each other out in the middle of the yard. "What the hell happened to you, Ryoga? Even you aren't **that** blind! Dammit!" Ranma swore as another ki blast pushed him back. "You misunderstand," the lost boy countered. "I'm seeing more clearly than ever before. Now I have you, and today, is the day you die!" With those words, the entirety of his sickly green aura drained away, shooting high up into the sky.

When it came down, it headed straight for the pig-tailed martial artist, and the two sisters behind him.

V---------------------V

With a hint of desperation in his eyes, Ranma focused every last bit of his ki he could dredge up into an ovoid shape before and above him, hoping to shield the house from the worst of the damage. He had no illusion as to his chances of survival. When Ryoga had first performed the perfected _Shishi Hôkôdan_, it had been insanely powerful, and had nearly taken him out in their duel.

Now, it was fueled by depression, anger, and hatred. He could almost taste the hatred in the aura his former friend and rival exuded, and he didn't like it. The ki blast that was headed for them now was easily the size of a small house, and the lost boy had released enough energy to power an entire city block. _Does he really hate me that much…?_ Eyes shut in concentration, he managed to tell the two girls behind him to run from between clenched teeth, but they, too, seemed frozen in their places.

And the world turned green.

V---------------------V

Ryoko stopped just outside of the outer wall that marked the perimeter of the Tendo compound, staring at something in the air. Following his gaze, Nodoka let out a startled gasp as the light from the dark green, swirling mass of energy hovering above them cast eerie shadows. Reaching the apex of its path, the sphere slowed down and reversed direction, coming straight down the way it had gone up.

Aiming right at the yard that was on the other side of the wall. With a muttered curse, the martial artist dropped Nodoka to the ground. "Get as far away as possible, and get behind some cover!" Before she could reply, he was over the wall and in the yard. The remaining four women that had been following them picked that moment to arrive, as the sphere impacted, detonating in a brilliant explosion that flared into the afternoon sky. A mushroom cloud not unlike that of a nuclear explosion erupted into the air, and the shockwave alone disintegrated the wall that separated the street from the yard.

Shielding their eyes from the light and hitting the ground, the four women could feel the searing heat that washed across their backs. Seeing that the Saotome matriarch had been too close to the wall and been tossed into the air, Kagura kicked up, reaching behind her ear to withdraw a feather. Muttering an incantation, she tossed it through the air even as it grew to nearly ten feet in length. The feather cushioned Nodoka's fall, and hovered in mid-air, awaiting its mistress's orders.

The crashing of debris and the terrified screams of the people behind her on the street told them that the damage was not restricted to the Tendo household. What was left of the wall was a pile of sawdust and broken mortar, the rocks and wooden beams shattered and incinerated by the heat and force of the blast, and what lay beyond was devastated beyond recognition.

In the middle of it all, in the center of a six-foot wide crater, stood Ryoga, heaving deep, shuddering breaths, his eyes closed, and chin resting against his chest as the lost boy recovered from the massive drain on his body's energy reserves. Around him, expanding from him like a circle, was scorched earth, burned cinders, and even ground. The koi pont that had been part of the yard was now only a shallow hole, the water long vaporized and the koi disintegrated.

What was left of the house was a pile of debris resting in what had once been the foundation of the house; weren't it for the deep indent in the ground that marked the foundation, there would have been no trace of what had been there just moments ago. Even the dojo behind the house hadn't been left unscathed, but, since it had been built completely of wood – unlike the house – not a trace of it had survived. Beyond that lay another broken wall, an beyond that lay a devastated street. Windows had been broken, walls blown down, and entire buildings had come crashing to the ground, shaken loose by the very shockwave of the blast that had originated here.

What made bile rise in the throats of the five women, however, was the sight of bodies buried beneath the rubble, some moving, others still. A tiny rivulet of crimson dripped its way from between the debris of a collapsed storefront, forcing them to avert their eyes.

V---------------------V

"**ENOUGH**!" The yell reverberated throughouth the neighborhood, easily drawing everyone's attention to its origin. Standing in the center of the yard, just where the porch would have been had it survived, stood the glowing figure of a furious martial artist. The silver flame of ki flickered high into the air, wide enough to form a shield between Ranma and the Tendo sisters, and Ryoga.

Ryoko stared at the still form of the lost boy. He was beyond glaring, beyond anger. He felt a deep, burning hatred for the one who had claimed honor and yet fought with such a disregard to other's lives. He was glad the three behind him were unconscious. Had they seen the destruction the fight had caused, they would have been mortified. Especially Ranma. Glancing sideways at Urd, he saw her survey her surroundings and begin a restoration spell.

When the lost boy began to stir and looked up, he started towards them upon seeing the prone form of his rival. "Yes! Finally, he's dead! I have my honor back!" In his euphoria, Ryoga failed to notice Ryoko as the bandanna-clad boy began to walk away, whistling a cheerful tune. What he did notice, though, was the jump-kick that rocked him off his feet. Turning around and struggling back to his feet after the painful hit to his spine, Ryoga glared at the silver-glowing elder martial artist. "What do you want?" He growled.

Ryoko didn't reply as he viciously laid into the lost boy.

V---------------------V

Urd shuddered as she locked eyes with her longtime friend for even just a moment. The cold hatred she saw there chilled the goddess to her bones. Shunting the memory away, she continued her restoration spell as the debris began to lift itself off the ground, reforming everything that had been destroyed. Walls righted themselves, ashes coalesced to beams and poles, glass shards flew together and formed planes again.

That only left the injured to deal with, and Urd was already wanting for a drink. The sounds of battle drew her attention back towards the newly-restored Tendo yard, and all thoughts of rest evaporated from her mind.

V---------------------V

The attacks came faster than Ryoga's eyes could detect, near-sonic strikes buffeting him around in the air as he felt pain explode through his body despite its incredible toughness. He lifted an arm in an attempt to block, only to have it bypassed by a half-dozen kicks that slammed him into the ground hard enough to rebound. A crescent kick sent him back into the air, a ki-blast shooting him even higher. In a flash of movement, his adversary was above him, slamming palmstrikes into his chest at a rate which made the Amaguri-Ken pale in comparison.

He could feel his ribs crack and splinter, and suddenly it was getting hard to breathe. Ryoko, however, wasn't done yet. They hit the ground together in a crater, and before Ryoga could shake off the dizzyness that resulted from the impact, a tornado swept him up. It wasn't as strong as the _Hiryuu Shôten Hâ_ Ranma had used on him once before, but it served to lift him up into the air once more, and he could hear his broken bones shifting around and tearing up his insides as he flew.

Kneeling on the ground in the eye of the miniature hurricane of his own making, Ryoko took aim, and let loose with a hailstorm of ki-enhanced vacuum blades that pelted the tornado, slicing into and through it and everything within. Droplets of blood hit the ground, indicating that he had struck his target. Then the howling winds dissipated, leaving the cut-up and bleeding lost boy hanging in the air for an instant before gravity took effect and slammed him into the unforgiving ground again.

He moved over and raised the hand, letting the fan slide open. "Die," he said quietly. Drawing back his arm, he was about to cut the lost boy's head from his shoulders when a hand on his arm restrained him. A sideways glance confirmed it belonged to Urd, and the goddess shook her head. "It's not your place to judge him. He'll get what he deserves in the afterlife. Until then…"

His glare softened at the haunted look in the goddess's eyes, and he knew that she despised the boy before them as much as he did, yet refused to stoop to his level to dispose of him. "You already did enough. Right now, we have more important things to take care of. There are injured to tend to." He slowly nodded and withdrew his weapon, before turning around and walking away from the mangled form of the lost boy.

V---------------------V

"Well, we were able to undo most of the damage. The collateral damage in itself was easily repaired, and it's all gone now; there were several rather severe injuries, but we got those, too." The voice sounded tired all of a sudden. "But we were too late for two of them. They got crushed under the debris when the pillar collapsed on top of them." He tried very hard not to listen in, knowing full well that he wouldn't like it if he did, but the words were spoken loud enough for his ears to pick up.

He knew what they meant, and understood it. A single hot tear leaked out of the corner of his eye. Whether it was one of regret and pain, or anger he did not know. Right now, he didn't particularly care, either. What he wanted to know was if Kasumi and Akane were safe. Trying to open his eyes, he emitted a low groan as the evening sunlight struck his eyes. Looking around blearily, he could make out the Tendo living room. Urd, Ryoko, Setsuna, Cologne, and Shampoo were sitting around the dinner table, with Nodoka sitting a little farther apart from them with the Tendo sisters.

"Ranma!" His mother was by his side in an instant, looking him over with a worried glance. "Are you all right, son?" He nodded weakly, looking around for Ryoga. "What happened? Last thing I remember is pig-boy throwing the mother of all _Shishi Hôkôdan_s at me…" The mention of the other Jusenkyo cursed martial artist drew a glare from most present. Kasumi merely frowned, but the effect was…unsettling, at the very least.

"I took care of him. He isn't getting back up anytime soon," Ryoko half-snarled, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder. "He's out back, still out like a light." Ranma caught Urd's muttered, "And I hope he stays that way," and moved to stand shakily. He marvelled at the fact that the area around the dojo was as intact as it had been before the fight, but the memories of the destruction they had caused and the few words he had picked up from their quiet conversation as he woke up made it clear that it had all been repaired in the few scant hours since the battle had taken place.

He knew that this time his fight with his archrival had taken unprecedented proportions, and had endangered and even cost the life of several innocents. A cold rage formed in the pit of his stomach, and the pig-tailed youth could feel a veritable rage build up inside of himself before he slammed down the Soul of Ice on his emotions. Only his iron will and resolve to not kill under any circumstances kept him from walking over and tearing into the lost boy.

_Dammit! If I had taken him seriously, if only I'd taken him down faster…I played around, I tangled with him when I should've finished him off. Now people are dead and it's my fault for letting it get this far. Chikuso!_ There had been signs, of course. The bandanna-clad boy's everlasting pursuit of him, coupled with his fury each time he saw Ranma, was one thing that could have been put off as friendly rivalry. But their fights had progressed from brawls to large-scale battles that had caused more property damage than the construction companies could keep up with.

And, Ranma now realized, Ryoga had gone from, "Defend yourself, Ranma!" to his now-common, "Prepare to die!" Nothing had changed; if anything, matters had gone from bad to worse. He had allowed it to continue on, and this was the result. _I shoulda realized he was serious…shoulda known he wasn't my friend, after all…_ Mentally berating himself, the Saotome boy collapsed to his knees on the porch, staring out at the yard, an empty look in his eyes.

The people behind him glanced at him, but left him alone, knowing this was something neither of them could help him deal with. Ranma's hands clenched into fists tightly enough to draw blood, and a small trickle of crimson dropped from his hands and onto the polished wood. If he had realized sooner that Ryoga was truly out for his life, he wouldn't have held back.

If only he had realized to what lengths the lost boy's hatred against him went.

If only he had realized that it was impossible for him to have any friends.

If only he had stopped to think about why the lost boy never stopped blaming him, never stopped attacking him.

If only…

Ranma snorted. There were too many "what if"s to count, and none of them really helped him right now. His own foolishness and blindness had caused this. Ryoga's only real fault had been that he had wanted to defeat his opponent, never caring what he did to achieve his goal. His foolishness had blinded him to what Ryoga really was, with all his broken promises and misuse of his vows. Forcing him to swear upon his honor to remain quiet about his curse was one thing, but turning around and hiding behind someone else and using that person to strike back was something that defied any description of 'honor' Ranma had ever seen.

Now, attacking without warning, using innocent people as shields and never caring about the harm he caused others…Ryoga wasn't a martial artist, and he was anything but honorable. Treating him as such had been a grave mistake, and believing he would abide by the same code of honor Ranma himself did had been an even greater one.

He had sworn to protect those who could not do it themselves, had he not? And here he was, with more blood on his hands because he wouldn't, couldn't finish off his opponent quickly enough. Others had come to harm because he had refused to fight with his full strength, because he had refused to resort to lethal force. And for once, he damned the decision he had made seemingly so long ago.

Staring at his hands, his mind idly went through the list of techniques he knew that could have ended the fight – and Ryoga's life – in a single blow. Most of his father's sealed Yama-Sen-Ken moves were among them, as were those of the Umi-Sen-Ken. Had he used these, he could have finished the fight quickly, after the first blow had been struck. Ryoga had left such gaping holes in his defense, choosing to rely on his brute strength and toughness that it would have been more than easy to slip in a fatal blow to a pressure point or major artery.

Yet he hadn't. He had refused to even draw blood, but the lost boy had had no such qualms. As soon as he realized that, Ranma knew, he should have stopped holding back. Words his mother had spoken came back to his mind, spoken during his recollection of the events of Jusendo. _My son…a martial artist does not kill. To do so is to loose your honor. But when there is no other way, when your opponent gives you no choice, and when they seek to take your very life, then you have to let go of your pride and innocence and strike them down with all your might before they can harm anyone else. You have a sworn duty as a martial artist, to protect those who cannot protect themselves. You cannot do that when you are dead. You cannot allow yourself to die for the sake of yourself, and those around you. If you do not, then you will not only loose your honor, but also those you hold dear._

He was pulled out of his reverie when a large shadow fell across the yard. Back in the house, Mint froze for a moment before he began drooling. "Boobs!" he muttered. Those who had seen the woman before tensed in anticipation, and those who hadn't, merely waited in curious silence. With a gentle flap of her wings, Kiima landed in the backyard of the Tendo compound.

Her face belied the tranquility of her arrival. Urgency and fear were etched into her features, and she hurried over to Ranma. "Saotome!" Said pig-tailed martial artist stared in shock for a moment before sliding into a defensive stance, eyeing the Phoenix woman warily. "What do you want, Kiima?" They hadn't exactly parted on the best of terms, and the last time he had seen her, he had been locked in mortal combat with her lord; a friendly visit was the last thing he expected from her.

The moment she touched the ground, Kiima slumped in exhaustion, kneeling on the ground as she caught her breath. Ranma could easily see that she had taxed herself to the limit to reach the Tendo dojo, but why, he had no idea. "What's wrong?" he asked again, in a softer tone this time. Kiima was in no condition to fight. "Lord Saffron is coming. Something happened to him, and he's coming for your head," the winged woman whispered hoarsely.


End file.
